Bacteria found in the venom of snakes and spiders can make antibiotics more potent

Bacteria are found in most unexpected places – deserts which are arid, lakes which are toxic and acidic and now scientists have discovered them in one of the unexpected habitats -- the venom of spiders and snakes said a report in sciencealert.com.

This finding is contrary to the previously held belief that since these venoms had antimicrobial compounds, they therefore were presumed to be sterile with no microbes thriving in them.

This means that with the bacteria already in existence in the venom, a person who is bitten by a snake or spider may need to be treated for infection.

Stressing the importance of this find, Sterghios Moschos a molecular biologist from Northumbria University in the United Kingdom said: "We found that all venomous snakes and spiders that we tested had bacterial DNA in their venom. Common diagnostic tools failed to identify these bacteria correctly – if you were infected with these, a doctor would end up giving you the wrong antibiotics, potentially making matters worse."

For long it was assumed that the venom is sterile, the bites are not. Statistics show that up to 75 per cent of those bitten by snakes have infections in the bite wounds. Known as secondary infection, this is generally assumed to be caused by the bacteria that are present in the snake’s mouth.

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