An Idaho dad's quick step into his parents' backyard in Northern California ended with a rare medical ordeal and a hospital running out of antivenom. Chris Howarth was bitten by a rattlesnake in Oroville on May 26 and within minutes had a numb tongue, swollen lymph nodes, and trouble breathing, his wife Jenny says. Oroville Hospital started antivenom within about an hour, but his symptoms kept rebounding. By day three, he'd developed a serious blood-clotting disorder that put him at risk of uncontrolled bleeding, SFGate reports.
After six days and 36 vials of antivenom, the hospital's supply was gone, and Howarth was airlifted to Stanford Hospital, where doctors tried a different antivenom that finally brought his condition under control. He ultimately received 54 vials over 12 days, most of it in intensive care—an unusually high amount, according to California Poison Control, which called his case "really unfortunate" but rare. Most people need just a few doses. Howarth says he was bitten twice on the foot after stepping out to check a broken water line. Six weeks later, Howarth says he still has swelling in his foot and leg and hasn't been able to return to his job as a letter carrier, KRCR reports. He says he's around 80% recovered and hopes to go back to work next week.
The bite came amid a spike in rattlesnake activity following a March heat wave; California has seen at least 249 bites and three deaths this season. Howarth and his wife warn that cool, wet weather can mask rattlesnakes—and even quiet their rattles. "It's like the rattle gets wet or muddy, then it sounds like doesn't really make any rattle noise, or it's really muffled," Jenny Howarth says. She tells KRCR: "We just want to make other people aware of how serious the situation can be. They want you to remain calm because freaking out and increasing your heart rate just kind of pumps that venom through faster."
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
