Australia
“Frightening situation”: Highly venomous snake bites woman while she sleeps
The Eastern brown snake is one of the most venomous snakes in the world
© Racq Life Flight/RACQ LIFE FLIGHT/AAP / DPA
It is usually a brown snake that is responsible for fatal snake bites in Australia. It’s rare for this nightmare to come true, but a woman was attacked in bed by one of these poisonous snakes – and she was lucky.
A woman in the tropical state of Queensland has now experienced a real nightmare scenario: she was bitten in her sleep by one of the most poisonous snakes in the world. The animal attacked the young woman in bed that night in the rural town of Glenmorgan, reported the ABC broadcaster, citing the rescue workers.
According to several media outlets, it was an eastern brown snake (Pseudonaja textilis) that only occurs in Australia and New Guinea. One photo showed her head sticking out from under the blanket.
The poisonous snakes are considered to be the most poisonous snakes on earth after the inland taipan, which is also endemic to Down Under – also appropriately known as the dire snake. In Australia, an average of one to two people die from snakebites every year – the vast majority in recent years from attacks by the Eastern brown snake, which is found throughout most of the country.
Australian woman survives snake bite: family is doing everything right
However, the woman in Queensland was lucky: thanks to immediate first aid from her family, who also immediately called a rescue helicopter, she is in a serious but stable condition. “The relatives held the patient’s hand very still and wrapped it tightly with a snake bandage to prevent the poison from spreading towards the middle of the body,” ABC quoted one of the emergency doctors as saying. The woman is now being treated at the hospital in the nearest major city, Toowoomba.
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“In my experience, it is very unusual to be bitten while you are sleeping,” the doctor further emphasized and spoke of a “frightening situation.” According to local emergency services, an increase in snakebites is being noted due to the warm weather. In the last week alone there were around 30 missions across the country.