How horses’ natural immunity to snake venom makes production of antivenom for humans possible
The most venomous snake in the world can kill an elephant, but one animal survives its deadly bite: the horse?
Regardless of the snake’s potency, including the fearsome king cobra, the horse remains immune to its venom.
Following a bite, the horse may experience mild illness for approximately three days before making a complete recovery.
This remarkable phenomenon conceals a secret with the potential to save human lives: the antidote. But how is this antivenom produced? The process begins with venom collection from snakes, which is then injected into horses in small quantities.
The horse’s immune system responds by generating antibodies to neutralise the venom. After two to three days, these antibodies are present in the horse’s blood. Blood is drawn from the horse, and the red blood cells are removed.
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The plasma is then processed to create anti-venom, which is administered to individuals bitten by venomous snakes to save their lives.
In India, numerous antivenom manufacturing facilities care for hundreds of horses to produce this life-saving serum.
It is remarkable to consider that, thanks to this gentle creature, we are protected from some of the deadliest poisons on earth. Without horses, countless lives would be lost due to snake bites.,
Horses can survive snake venoms, and are naturally resistant to many types of snake venom, partly due to their large body mass, which makes venom dilute quickly.
Horses have natural partial immunity to some venom components. A healthy adult horse often survives many venomous bites (especially from pit vipers) with proper treatment. However, neurotoxic venoms (like from cobras or mambas) can be dangerous or fatal if untreated.
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