VietNamNet Bridge – Ho Chi Minh City-based Cho Ray Hospital has so far this year treated 500 people who were attacked by red-tailed vipers.

Red-tailed viper (Trimeresurus albolabris) is very common throughout Vietnam

The patients came mostly from Long An, Binh Phuoc, Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Ho Chi Minh City.

In the rainy month of October alone, the hospital received 90 patients, up from 50 in the previous months.

Pham Hong Nguyen, who lives in Thu Dau Mot city, Binh Duong province, is seeking treatment at the hospital for a bite he got from the viper right in his house.

He said the venomous snake attacked five people in his residential area in a month-long duration since it was rarely recorded there previously.

Head of the hospital’s Tropical Diseases Department Tran Quang Binh said on December 7 that the number of red-tailed attacks increased in the southern region when the rainy season came.

However, the total number of cases in 2014 stayed unchanged, he reported.

Binh suggested keeping those attacked by the snake stay still and calm and taking them to hospital as soon as possible after giving them proper first aid.

No fatality from the viper bite was so far reported, the hospital said.

Red-tailed viper (Trimeresurus albolabris) is very common throughout Vietnam. This species often prefers to live in the hills with elevations below 400m, in evergreen forests, wetlands or agricultural lands. Their food is mice, birds, lizards and frogs. They are on the ground at night, and rest in trees during the day.

However, when being touched by anyone, they will bite them and secrete their toxic venom into the bitten people.

The snake can still be dangerous even after they have died. They can secrete deadly venom within 90 minutes after their death.    

VNA/VNN