African Society of Toxinology: a new opportunity for integrating the control of envenomations in Africa

Chippaux, Jean‐Philippe

doi:10.1590/s1678-91992012000400002

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Although very expensive, provision of treatment for the majority of cases does not bring sustainable profit to manufacturers – and this is the main reason for the current antivenom shortage [ 4 ]. The African Society of Venimology (ASV) has proposed a strategy to alleviate the shortage that addresses four main challenges [ 5 ].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Snakebite envenomation turns again into a neglected tropical disease!

Chippaux

2017

J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis

368

254

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On June 9th, 2017 WHO categorized snakebite envenomation into the Category A of the Neglected Tropical Diseases. This new situation will allow access to new funding, paving the way for wider and deeper researches. It should also expand the accessibility of antivenoms. Let us hope that it also leads to cooperation among stakeholders, aiming at improving the management of snakebites in developing countries.

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Snakebite envenomation turns again into a neglected tropical disease!

Chippaux

2017

J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis

368

254

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“…preferably composed of highly purified F(ab’) 2 that may be administered in rural peripheral health centers devoid of adverse event treatments], stable (i.e. lyophilized to avoid cold chain use that is difficult to maintain in SSA) and, if possible, affordable, even though this latter criterion is not essential for the choice of the AV [16, 17, 23].…”

Section: Treatment Accessmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Until now, local manufacturing of AVs was not considered reasonable because of the complexity and deterrent cost. Since WHO had added SBEs to its list of category A NTDs and launched its strategy for prevention and control of the SBEs, main obstacles were unlocked: the case reporting system is improving, financial resources are rising and political determination, as mentioned above, is emerging in many SSA countries [2, 17, 23].…”

Section: A Plan For the Ssamentioning

confidence: 99%

The WHO strategy for prevention and control of snakebite envenoming: a sub-Saharan Africa plan

Chippaux

Massougbodji

Habib

2019

J. Venom. Anim. Toxins incl. Trop. Dis

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Snakebite is a critical public health issue in tropical countries, particularly in Africa, where 20% of snakebites globally occur. In 2017, the WHO added snakebite envenoming to the category A of neglected tropical diseases. In 2019, thanks to broad institutional and international NGO support, including strong mobilization of African experts and governments, WHO launched a strategy for prevention and control of snakebite envenoming with more ambitious goals. In sub-Saharan Africa, accessibility of antivenoms and symptomatic, adjuvant or replacement therapy is a priority. Several antivenoms are available but their evaluation has not been properly carried out and they remain expensive. To date, there are no manufacturers of antivenom in sub-Saharan Africa (except in South Africa), which requires their importation from other continents. The lack of experience in antivenom choice and its use by health authorities, health personnel and population largely explains the shortage in sub-Saharan Africa. The deficiency of epidemiological data does not allow the implementation of appropriate and efficient care. It is crucial to strengthen the health system which does not have the necessary means for emergency management in general and envenoming in particular. Providing peripheral health centers with antivenoms would decrease complications and deaths. The motivation of communities at risk, identified through the epidemiological data, would be to reduce the delay in consultation that is detrimental to the efficiency of treatment. Partnerships need to be coordinated to optimize resources from international institutions, particularly African ones, and share the burden of treatment costs among all stakeholders. We propose here a project of progressive implementation of antivenom manufacturing in sub-Saharan Africa. The various steps, from the supply of appropriate venoms to the production of purified specific antibodies and vial filling, would be financed by international, regional and local funding promoting technology transfer from current manufacturers compensated by interest on the sale of antivenoms.

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“…The obvious benefit of studying venoms in detail is finding the means to block their deleterious effects. Although envenomation is a neglected public health problem in many of developed countries [80], it frequently causes intense pain and, when complicated symptoms occur, can even lead to death of the affected individual. This Perspective, however, focuses on the potential of some venom components as biotechnological tools.…”

Section: Biotechnological Applications Of Pfpsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pore-Forming Proteins from Cnidarians and Arachnids as Potential Biotechnological Tools

Rivera-de-Torre

Palacios-Ortega

Gavilanes

et al. 2019

Toxins

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Animal venoms are complex mixtures of highly specialized toxic molecules. Cnidarians and arachnids produce pore-forming proteins (PFPs) directed against the plasma membrane of their target cells. Among PFPs from cnidarians, actinoporins stand out for their small size and molecular simplicity. While native actinoporins require only sphingomyelin for membrane binding, engineered chimeras containing a recognition antibody-derived domain fused to an actinoporin isoform can nonetheless serve as highly specific immunotoxins. Examples of such constructs targeted against malignant cells have been already reported. However, PFPs from arachnid venoms are less well-studied from a structural and functional point of view. Spiders from the Latrodectus genus are professional insect hunters that, as part of their toxic arsenal, produce large PFPs known as latrotoxins. Interestingly, some latrotoxins have been identified as potent and highly-specific insecticides. Given the proteinaceous nature of these toxins, their promising future use as efficient bioinsecticides is discussed throughout this Perspective. Protein engineering and large-scale recombinant production are critical steps for the use of these PFPs as tools to control agriculturally important insect pests. In summary, both families of PFPs, from Cnidaria and Arachnida, appear to be molecules with promising biotechnological applications.

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African Society of Toxinology: a new opportunity for integrating the control of envenomations in Africa

Cited by 6 publications

References 18 publications

Snakebite envenomation turns again into a neglected tropical disease!

Snakebite envenomation turns again into a neglected tropical disease!

The WHO strategy for prevention and control of snakebite envenoming: a sub-Saharan Africa plan

Pore-Forming Proteins from Cnidarians and Arachnids as Potential Biotechnological Tools

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