A woman went into anaphylactic shock after a “truly terrifying” encounter with Britain’s only venomous snake. She watched in horror as her leg doubed in size and turned yellow from a nasty adder bite.
Beau Avis believes she’s lucky to be alive said she wouldn’t wish what happened to her “on my worst enemy”. The 26-year-old spent two days in hospital and almost a week later, she was still on crutches.
“I didn’t have any control over any aspect of my body,” she recalled. “It was like acid being poured over your legs. It was truly terrifying.”
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Beau was walking her dog Bonnie in sandals on a country lane near her home in Brentwood, Essex, when an adder sprung up on her and sunk its teeth into her ankle. Within minutes, she was experiencing anaphylactic shock, reported the Mirror.
Luckily she was with her dad Kevin at the time. He rushed his daughter to Queen’s Hospital, Romford, where doctors, by chance, had anti-venom to hand.
Drifting in and out of consciousness, the PR worker was admitted to the resusitation (trauma) unit. “I’m really lucky,” said Beau.
“I was told a lot of hospitals don’t tend to hold anti-venom but this one did. The consultant had to ring the Poisons Information Service to find out what dose was needed.”
Beau was given morphine and kept in hospital overnight. But when her leg began to swell to “double the size”, doctors had to administer a second dose of the antidote and she was kept in for a second night.
While adders are the UK’s sole poisonous snake in the UK, only 50-100 bites are reported per year. Most of these (70%) don’t result in serious injury.
Seeing an adder is often seen as a privilege but parents and dog owners are being urged to be careful. This week, vets warned people to watch out after one was spotted slithering across a car park near Llyn Crafnant, Conwy.
Do adders seem to be getting more commonplace where you live? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Sightings are more common on Anglesey – where a dog was reportedly bitten in Newborough Forest this spring – and in Gwynedd, especially on the Llŷn Peninsula.
Last month, an adder was spotted on the beach at Porth Neigwl (Hells Mouth), near Abersoch. The snakes rarely venture onto beaches but in 2021 one was filmed swimming off the Anglesey coast near Rhosneigr.
Beau is now recovering from her attack but she is still struggling to walk and is experiencing agonising pain. She shared her story to raise awareness of what to do if bitten is bitten.
While adders can be dangerous, they’re only known to bite when threatened – such as when stepped on, or approached by a dog. Beau believes that, had it been Bonnie who was bitten, it’s unlikely the dog would have survived.
“There isn’t much in the way of aftercare because it’s so rare in the UK,” she said. Apparently you’re more likely to be hit by lightning, the odds are so small.
“I ended up calling the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and London Zoo for advice on what to do now that I’m out of hospital.”
Beau continued: “My leg has turned yellow and I’m on crutches for now. Even lifting my leg to get into bed at first was just agony.
“I’m still in pain now, six days on. The only way I can describe it is like when you get painful lactic acid build-up when you’re exercising, only all over your body and it being constant. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.”
In the rare scenario someone is bitten, NHS advice is to stay calm and seek immediate medical attention. “I was lucky we were about 300 yards from the car when it happened,” Beau added.
“If I’d been on my own and in the middle of nowhere I don’t know if I’d have been as fortunate.”
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