Can Anything Good Come From Being Bitten by Hundreds of Snakes? Um, Maybe?

Thought Question: What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done, and what made you decide to go for it?

The World Health Organization reports that about 110,000 people die each year from snakebites. Tim Friede is very, very lucky not to be one of them.

A snake lover from Wisconsin, Friede has been collecting venomous reptiles for 20 years. Knowing the dangers of his hobby, he set out on an extremely dangerous journey. He wanted to build up an immunity to snake venom. To do so, he began by injecting himself with tiny doses of the toxins found in snakes’ fangs. 

“At first, it was very scary,” Friede told The Associated Press. “But the more you do it, the better you get at it, the more calm you become with it.”

When snake venom enters the bloodstream, the body tries to fight it by creating antibodies that help break down the poison. Gradually, Friede’s body developed a wide variety of these antibodies. Eventually, he allowed actual snakes to bite him. Some were among the deadliest snakes in the world. 

Though he nearly died a number of times, Friede made it through. He has since retired from the “let cobras bite me” business. But now scientists are studying his venom-resistant blood. Right now, medicine to treat a snakebite must be tailored to the specific snake. Doctors hope to use Friede’s blood to create a universal antivenom. That would mean it could be given to any bite victim, no matter what snake bit them. The research is promising but still in its early stages. It could be years before human trials start.

And as for anyone trying to speed up the process by trying what Friede did?    

“Don’t do it,” Friede warns.