[Ophidian envenomation in the region Souss-Massa-Drâa in Morocco]. / Les envenimations ophidiennes dans la région de Souss-Massa-Drâa au Maroc.

The present study aims to determine the main characteristics of ophidian envenomation in the Souss-Massa-Drâa region in Morocco. It consisted of a descriptive retrospective analysis of all snakebite cases recorded by the Moroccan Poison Control and Pharmacovigilance Center, from 1980 to 2008. According to reported data, this region is the most affected in Morocco with 479 cases, that is 27.6% (17 cases/year). The average age of victims was 26.07 ± 18.28 years. The patients developed clinical signs (55%) dominated by disorders of the digestive system (35.5%), cardiovascular diseases (21.4%), and heart rhythm disorders (16.8%). The lethality and sequelae rates were 12% and 1.9%, respectively.

[Epidemiology of snakebites in Morocco]. / Epidémiologie des envenimations ophidiennes au Maroc.

This study was based on a retrospective descriptive analysis of all cases of snakebite recorded at the Poison Control and Pharmacovigilance Center of Morocco from 1980 to 2008. A total of 1,761 snakebites, i.e., 61 cases per year, were observed during the study period. Males accounted for 54.5% of victims (sex ratio (M/F) = 1.2) and 70% of cases occurred in rural areas. The average age of snakebite victims was 26.7 +/- 17.5 years. A seasonal snakebite peak was observed between May and August coinciding with the warmest period of the year, harvest time and snake migration. Sixty-two percent of patients presented clinical symptoms including respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, neurological and mucocutaneous signs. The average fatality rate was 7.2% per year and the sequel rate was up to 1.04%. This study demonstrates that management of snakebite is problematic in Morocco. Morbidity was probably underestimated. Restricted access to antivenom is a major problem in rural areas where the population cannot afford the cost.