Inter-individual variability in equine antibody responses to African snake venoms follows heavy-tailed distributions with implications for antivenom production

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  Inter-individual variability in equine antibody responses to African snake venoms follows heavy-tailed distributions with implications for antivenom production Abstract Variability in the antibody response of horses used for snake antivenom manufacture is well recognized, yet its statistical structure and implications for industrial productivity remain poorly characterized. In this study, we quantified antivenom antibody titers by ELISA in a cohort of 14 horses immunized with venoms from the clinically most important snakes in sub-Saharan Africa. To integrate antibody levels with plasma availability, we calculated the Cumulative Plasma Productivity (CPP) by converting individual plasma volumes into titer-corrected equivalents and sequentially pooling these volumes according to their corrected contribution. Distributional analysis revealed right-skewed, heavy-tailed patterns better approximated by a log-normal model than by a strict Pareto (power-law) form, with approximately 20–3...

Brief history of ophidiology and ophidism in Colombia

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Brief history of ophidiology and ophidism in Colombia 

Abstract

This review traces the historical trajectory of ophidiology (the study of snakes) and ophidism (snakebite envenoming) within the Colombian context. Despite the profound cultural and scientific significance of the human–serpent relationship in the region, the relevant literature remains fragmented, with foundational historical works neither digitized nor readily accessible. To address this, we conducted a narrative review of primary sources spanning from the pre-Colombian era to the present. Our methodology involved sourcing material from specialized libraries, historical archives, personal collections and contemporary scientific databases. The analysis identifies and contextualizes pivotal contributions across distinct historical periods, from early archeological evidence and colonial accounts to foundational eighteenth-century works and the formalized scientific studies of the last two centuries. The review culminates by highlighting how modern Colombian research, including significant international collaborations, is now producing influential work on snake biology, venoms and envenoming that commands global attention.

Carlos A Cañas, Santiago Castaño-Valencia, Fernando Castro-Herrera, Brief history of ophidiology and ophidism in Colombia, Transactions of The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2026;, trag051, https://doi.org/10.1093/trstmh/trag051