Immunological Properties and Neutralization of Sea-Snake Venoms from Southeast Asia

The immunologic properties of the venom of four species of sea snake from different parts of Southeast Asia were investigated by means of double diffusion and immunoelectrophoretic methods in agar. The effectiveness of antivenin for Enhydrina schistosa venom, manufactured at Commonwealth Serum Laboratories, Melbourne, Australia, was tested against different sea-snake venoms. This antivenin was not only effective for homologous venom, but it also effectively neutralized venom of Hydrophis cyanocinctus from the Strait of Malacca, venom of Pelamis platurus from the East China Sea near Formosa, and venom of Lapemis hardwickii from the Gulf of Thailand.