Long pants and sturdy shoes might help avoid a trip to the ED as yard clean ups begin across the region after recent wet weather.
Residents are being urged to be vigilant with an increase in snake bite presentations recorded across the Mackay Hospital and Health Service (HHS) with snakes on the move due to high temperatures and floodwaters.
There have been 27 snake bite presentations at Mackay Base Hospital since December last year. There were 11 patients treated at the hospital in December 2024 and 13 in January 2025, an increase from 16 patients in total for the same two-month period in the previous year.
A man is in a stable condition at Mackay Base Hospital after a snake bite at Blacks Beach earlier this week. Last weekend there were two patients taken to Proserpine Hospital after snake bites, both of which required transfer to Mackay Base Hospital for antivenom treatment. One of these patients, a woman in her 40s, was bitten at home and later transferred from Proserpine Hospital by rescue helicopter on Sunday. She remains in a serious condition in the Mackay Base Hospital.
Mackay Base Hospital Emergency Department Senior Medical Officer Dr Nirindu Weerakoon said all snake bites should be treated as a medical emergency, regardless of whether you think the snake is venomous or not.
People who are bitten can often feel very well with little to no symptoms, Dr Weerakoon said.
“Some potential symptoms that you might get are headaches, bleeding from the bite site, double vision, sometimes difficulty with breathing or stroke-like symptoms,” he said.
“The worst-case scenario is cardiac arrest. Knowing snake bite first aid is critical and can save a life.”
Dr Weerakoon said the most important thing to do in the event of a snake bite was to apply a pressure immobilisation bandage as soon as possible.
“Always call 000 or get someone else to go for help. As long as you are not in danger of being bitten again, remain where you are,” he said.
“Venom travels through your lymphatic system so the more you move the faster it is pumped around your body.”
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