Two Children Treated for Snake Bites in Northern Israel Within Two Weeks

Within a span of two weeks, two children were hospitalized after snake bites in northern Israel, both receiving prompt medical care that prevented fatalities. The first incident involved a 12-year-old boy in Nof HaGalil who was bitten by a venomous viper while playing with friends in a makeshift neighborhood camp. The boy described opening a drawer and suddenly seeing the snake before being bitten. He remained calm, sought help from bystanders, and was quickly transported to the hospital's pediatric intensive care unit before being moved to a regular ward as his condition improved. His father emphasized the importance of staying still after a snake bite to slow venom spread.

About a week earlier, a two-year-old toddler from the Jezreel Valley was admitted to Emek Medical Center with a severely swollen and discolored leg after a snake bite. Immediate treatment stabilized his condition. Dr. Ronen Pomp, a senior pediatric emergency physician at the hospital, warned that many snake bites can be prevented by avoiding leaving debris where snakes hide and not reaching blindly under rocks or behind objects. He advised calming the victim, immobilizing the bitten limb to slow venom circulation, and calling emergency services immediately for rapid hospital transfer and treatment.