Anti-venom treatment saved Mt. Tom snake bite victim

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - The man who was bitten by a snake at Mt. Tom over the weekend is doing okay, after being treated with anti-venom.

The man was brought to Baystate Medical Center, where they stock anti-venom for snakes native to western Massachusetts including copperheads- the type of snake that bit him.

Baystate's Dr. Niels Rathlev told 22News that it is not common for people to get bitten by snakes in our area, but they have always kept the anti-venom in stock, just in case.

“There's a standard anti-venom we use for copperheads and rattlesnakes, and we stock it in the emergency department, and frankly most emergency departments, certainly every emergency department I've ever worked in has stocked these,” Rathlev said.

Doctors say it is easier to treat a snake bite if you know what kind of snake bit you (in this case, the victim had grabbed the snake and put him in a bag.) Still, they do not encourage you to approach a dangerous snake.

For tips on what to do if you or someone else is bitten by a snake, visit the website of the Centers for Disease Control at cdc.gov