As the weather gets warmer, snakes are emerging from a period of reduced activity during winter seeking food and mates.
Ambulance Victoria emergency management planning co-ordinator Brett Parker said snake bites are very topical at this time of the year in Victoria.
While there are many snakes that are a part of the Australian environment, tiger snakes and Eastern brown snakes are more prevalent in Melton and Moorabool.
“People going about their recreational business or just going for a walk along paths all around creeks and rivers and wetlands come across snakes at this time of the year,” he said.
“From Ambulance Victoria’s point of view, there’s a well-established first aid for snake bite if people are unfortunate enough to sustain a snake bite injury.
“That’s usually if they stepped on a snake or provoked the snake in some way, and they will try to defend themselves.”
Mr Parker said when encountering a snake, stopping and going around them would make the snake go away.
“What we ask people who are bitten is to immediately stop moving and to call for help via triple-0,” he said.
“Hopefully, someone with them starts the snake bite first aid, which is a pretty easy thing to do.
“Do not do anything to the venom on the skin.
“That can help with the hospitals in detecting what type of snake it is later.
“No sucking it out of the skin, no cutting into it. Just leave it in and put the pressure mobilisation bandage on, then splint the limb, and don’t move the patient until the ambulance gets there.”
He sad is important to keep the patient still and make sure to splint the injured limb so the bandage can stop the movement of the venom through the lymphatic system.
