10th International Venoms and Toxinology Meeting
The Welsh National Poisons Unit (WNPU) recently attended the 10th International Venoms and Toxinology Meeting in Oxford, UK. The WNPU were able to present four posters at the meeting concerning:
- Cases of ibogaine toxicity reported to the UK National Poisons Information Service (UK NPIS) over a 10-year period,
- Delayed toxicity following jellyfish stings reported to the National Poisons Information Service (NPIS),
- Severe systemic features following Lion’s Mane Jellyfish envenomation, and
- Trends in Lion's Mane Jellyfish envenomation reported to the National Poisons Information Service.
The posters enabled WNPU staff to engage with a broad spectrum of the delegates attending the meeting, and resulted in widening the network of professional contacts available to the WNPU.
Overall, the conference was attended by a diverse international audience, including toxicologists and toxinologists from across Europe, as well as from Algeria, Armenia, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Egypt, India, Iran, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Pakistan, Peru, South Africa, Thailand and the US. The programme covered a range of topics including: the discovery of recombinant antibodies for treatment of snakebite envenoming; development of a lateral flow assay for rapid diagnosis of snakebite envenomation; the effects of cobra venoms on human blood coagulation; detecting ricin toxins with mass spectrometry; and various aspects of snakebite-induced socioeconomic effects on communities in endemic countries.
The conference was a great opportunity to network with the international toxinology community and WNPU staff who attended benefitted greatly from the range of talks, gained a greater understanding of the field and the links with clinical toxicology, and improved their knowledge of the effects and management of envenomation. Further information about the Venoms and Toxins 2023 conference can be found here.