http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/18/health/snakes-leave-identity-within-their-fang-marks.html 2014-11-17 22:31:24 Snakes Leave Identity Within Their Fang Marks DNA information can show what kind of antivenin to use, or if one is even needed. === Getting a DNA swab from the fang marks of a The information is important because venom from different species has widely differing chemistry and causes different complications. Giving the wrong antivenin, drug or treatment can have dangerous side effects. Also, many or even most bites are from nonpoisonous snakes and no treatment beyond cleaning the wound is needed. According to Villagers often kill snakes after a bite but then fail to take the corpse to a clinic, even though that would identify it and determine what treatment should be given. Data from DNA could be swabbed from about a quarter of the bites and amplified, the researchers found. Folk remedies made it harder to get a viable sample, they said. When the snake was available, there was a 100 percent match. Standard DNA testing is too difficult for poor, rural clinics. But proving that it works could lead to rapid diagnostic tests, the authors said.