Three Snakebite Cases Reported Across Israel Including a 14-Year-Old in Bnei Darom

In the past 24 hours, three snakebite incidents were reported in Israel, involving a 14-year-old girl in Bnei Darom, a 48-year-old woman in Rishon Lezion, and a 26-year-old woman in the Galilee. The teenager, Hushan Brown, recounted how she was bitten while walking on a road in Bnei Darom, unaware of where she was stepping. She felt a sharp sting in her leg and saw a snake before running to a friend's house nearby. She was then transported by ambulance to Assuta Ashdod hospital, where she received antivenom for a viper bite and is now recovering. Brown emphasized the importance of staying calm and not running after a snakebite, advice she found difficult to follow in the moment.

Earlier on Wednesday morning, a 48-year-old woman was bitten by a snake while working at the Volcani Institute in Rishon Lezion. She was taken to Shamir Medical Center in stable but serious condition with bite marks on her lower limbs. Simultaneously, a 26-year-old woman in Majd al-Krum in the north was hospitalized in general intensive care at the Galilee Medical Center after a snakebite near her home, though her condition was reported as mild.

Dr. Khaled Atalla, head of the emergency department at Galilee Medical Center, stressed the importance of keeping the victim calm and immobile to slow venom spread and seeking immediate hospital care. He warned against cutting the bite site, sucking out venom, applying tourniquets, or attempting to catch the snake. Snake catcher Shlomo Horvitz advised avoiding contact with snakes, using visual awareness, not walking barefoot in poorly visible areas, and checking shoes and clothes when outdoors. He explained snakes bite mainly in self-defense or to capture prey and are generally fearful of humans.

These incidents highlight increased venomous snake activity during this season and the need for public awareness on prevention and proper response to snakebites.