Rega flies climber to Bern after suspected asp viper bite

A 35-year-old climber was flown to hospital on Monday after a suspected asp viper bit him near Balsthal in the canton of Solothurn, Swiss broadcaster SRF reported. His hand quickly swelled, and he was taken to Bern’s Inselspital hospital, where an appropriate antivenom was available.

After consulting the Swiss Poison Information Centre, the Rega air-rescue service flew the man to the hospital, Rega said. The climber had been moving through steep terrain with a rope when the snake bit him.

The climber and a companion alerted the cantonal medical emergency call centre on 144. The centre called Rega because the two men were in difficult-to-access terrain. A rescue specialist from Alpine Rescue Switzerland also took part in the operation.

The snake was probably an asp viper, which is native to the region. It is one of only two venomous snakes in Switzerland; the other is the adder.

Asp viper bites are rare but require medical care

Asp vipers are often confused with harmless species such as smooth snakes and dice snakes. The species is found across the Alpine region, extending to the Pyrenees and southern Italy, and occurs in Switzerland at elevations of up to about 2,500 metres.

Most asp viper bites are not harmless and usually require medical attention, but snake bites are rare in Switzerland and only exceptionally fatal. The National Coordination Centre for Amphibians recorded 103 cases between 1983 and 1995, including 14 with complications. Since 1960, only one bite from a native venomous snake has been fatal.

According to the Swiss Alpine Club, most snakes native to Switzerland are non-venomous. The country’s six native colubrid species are considered completely harmless to people.