A Dutch man on vacation in South Africa was bitten by a venomous snake on his genitals, which nearly rotted off, after sitting on a toilet.
The 47-year-old man was on a nature reserve during his vacation and while using the bathroom, the snake slithered up the toilet, biting him in his genital area. The case was the first of its kind, according to a report released by ScienceDirect in early November. (RELATED: Escaped Python Slithered Into Toilet And Bit Its Owner’s Neighbor In The ‘Genital Area’)
Man’s penis rots after being bitten by snake while sitting on toilet in South Africa https://t.co/pPqnYEkR49 pic.twitter.com/085rM3eqvq
— New York Post (@nypost) November 5, 2021
The serpent was identified as a snouted cobra, a species that did not become distinct until 2009, according to the report.
After having been bitten, the man waited for 3 hours until help arrived and was transported to the nearest medical center via helicopter. While waiting for help to arrive, he experienced symptoms such as burning in his genital area, pain spreading from his groin all the way up to his upper chest, and vomiting, according to the report.
Swelling and discoloration of the man’s genitals indicated that he was suffering from scrotal necrosis as a result of the snake’s venom, according to the report.
After having to harvest tissue to replace the tissue destroyed by the venom along with other surgical procedures, the man-made a full recovery a year later, the report said.
Worldwide deaths caused by snake bites range from 81,000 to 138,000 a year, but it is considered to be higher due to cases in rural areas that are less likely to be recorded, according to the report.