Cross viper bites Hungarian tourist in Austria

A Hungarian tourist encountered a cross viper near Mariazel in Austria and was bitten by the snake, reports 24.hu, citing the Austrian publication Kurier. The man was hiking with a group and continued after being bitten by a snake, but his condition soon began to deteriorate. He was eventually taken to the hospital in an ambulance helicopter.

The bite of the cruciferous viper, also native to Hungary, is rarely fatal because the venom of this species is relatively low in toxicity and does not release much of it even in a single bite. There is an antiserum for the poison, but it can cause prolonged discomfort and partial paralysis, and after more serious poisoning, full recovery can take up to a year.