The Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday the reported sightings of snakes in flooded homes were a natural occurrence and assured the public that it is equipped with anti-venom shots for possible snake-bite victims. “Alam namin na pag may flooding incidents, posibleng magkaroon ng ganun [paglabas ng ahas] (We know that snakes might come out during floods)," said Luz Claveria, a nurse from the DOH Operations Center.
SNAKE BITES According to the regional office of the World Health Organization in South-East Asia, the Philippines has an estimated number of 200-300 deaths from snake bites each year. With rice-farmers as usual victims, cobras are usually the culprits. How to identify venomous snakes: The most dangerous snakes can usually be identified through their size, shape, color, pattern of markings, their behavior and the sound they make when threatened. An example of this would be the cobra, as it spreads its hood, hisses and makes repeated strikes towards its aggressor when it is intimidated. Local symptoms and signs of a snake bite: - fang marks - local pain - local bleeding - bruising - inflammation - blistering - necrosis (death of cells or tissues in localized parts of the body) Generalized symptoms and signs: - nausea, abdominal pain, weakness, drowsiness - dizziness, collapse, shock, hypotension - abnormalities of taste and smell - stiffness and tenderness of muscles - cardiac arrest First aid for snake bites: - immobilize bitten limb with a splint or sling (any movement increases the absorption of venom into the bloodstream) - avoid any interference with the wound as this may introduce infection, increase absorption and increase local bleeding - seek immediate medical attention * Do not attempt to kill the snake, because even one with a severed head can bite! - from the World Health Organization, South-East Asia According to Claveria, although their medical teams have not reported cases of snake bites since their deployment on Sunday, they have the necessary medicine for such incidents. “
Meron kaming anti-venom (We have the anti-venom)," she assured. GMANews.TV received reports that snakes have been seen during the flooding when heavy rains brought by tropical storm “Ondoy" pummeled Metro Manila and nearby provinces on Saturday. Helenita, an evacuee from Bagong Silangan in Quezon City, said that rescuers were trying to bring them to safety, “
kaya lang umatras kasi may mga lumabas daw na ahas na isang brasong haba (but they retreated when snakes came out)." Former environment undersecretary Elmer Mercado said as waters were rising inside their Marikina home, his daughter saw a three-foot brown snake swimming in the flood waters. “We saw several small snakes all s-winding all over the ground floor. We counted something like a dozen snakes, and these were only the ones we saw," Mercado added. Kilometers away, a Cavite resident described their area: “
maputik, at gabundok yung mga basura, di pa nalilinis. Maraming patay na ahas (muddy and there are mountains of garbage that have yet to be disposed of. There are also a lot of dead snakes)."
– with reports from Joseph Holandes Ubalde, GMANews.TV 
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