Kraits are venomous snakes that belong to the Elapidae which also includes the common and king cobras.
Genus for kraits: Bungarus
Toxin: neurotoxins, including bungarotoxin
Persons at risk: rural, slum dwellers. The snake enter homes at night to look for rodents.
The bite of a krait:
(1) may be painless
(2) may have no or few local findings around the bite site
Clinical findings of early morning neuroparalytic syndrome:
(1) The patient goes to bed without complaint.
(2) The next morning the patient has neurologic symptoms including paresthesias, abdominal pain and numbness.
(3) These are followed by paralysis (see below).
(4) Other causes of flaccid paralysis are excluded.
(5) The patient improves after administration of antivenom.
Paralytic symptoms may include:
(1) bilateral ptosis
(2) external ophthalmoplegia
(3) paralysis of palate, jaw, tongue (bulbar muscles)
(4) difficulty swallowing
(5) generalized flaccid paralysis
(6) respiratory paralysis in severe cases
