Berlin, 22 June 2026 – The Aquarium Berlin became a meeting point for experts from research, zoo practice, medicine, and politics. The focus of the event was a frequently overlooked global health issue: snakebite envenoming. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies it as a neglected tropical disease (NTD). Every year, around 5.4 million people worldwide are bitten by snakes; more than 100,000 die, and hundreds of thousands more suffer permanent health consequences.
The event made clear that snakebite envenoming is far more than a purely medical issue. Sascha van Beek MP, spokesperson of the Parliamentary Advisory Board on Neglected Tropical Diseases, emphasized the importance of close collaboration between research, politics, and practice. The fight against NTDs is not only a matter of humanity, but also a contribution to innovation, global partnerships, and stable societies. The primary problem is not a lack of research, but a lack of justice.
A particular focus was placed by Antonia Braus from the German Network against Neglected Tropical Diseases (DNTDs), who highlighted the One Health approach. In many regions of the world, humans, livestock, and wildlife live in close contact with one another. Human health therefore cannot be considered in isolation; it is inseparably linked to the health of animals, as well as to climatic and other environmental factors. Community health workers, veterinarians, and medical personnel play a central role in prevention, early detection, and treatment. Sustainable solutions are only possible if silos are broken down and human medicine, veterinary medicine, and environmental health are consistently integrated.
The role that zoological institutions can play in this context was explained by Andreas Pauly, Head of the Department of Animal Health, Animal Welfare, and Research at Zoo, Tierpark and Aquarium Berlin. With the historic snake farm of Tierpark Berlin and today’s venomous snake husbandry at Aquarium Berlin, the capital has a long tradition in research, husbandry, and education on venomous snakes. This knowledge continues to contribute to education, research, and the safe handling of snakebite incidents.
Markus Klamt, reptile curator at Aquarium Berlin, pointed to the challenges posed by private and sometimes illegal keeping of venomous snakes. Lack of expertise and insufficient emergency preparedness repeatedly lead to dangerous situations. The zoo regularly supports authorities and emergency services with its expertise when exotic venomous snakes are confiscated or incidents need to be investigated.
How professional risk management works in practice was described by veterinarian Frauke Vißmann. At Tierpark Berlin, clear safety and emergency protocols are in place for snakebite incidents. These include the four-eyes principle when working with venomous snakes, the provision of antivenoms, and close cooperation with specialized medical facilities.
The global perspective was provided by Benno Kreuels from the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine and the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf. Knowledge about snakebites is often very limited even in countries where they are endemic. In Africa, for example, snakebites are associated with myths and superstition, which is why traditional healers play an important role. At the same time, difficult access to distant hospitals and poverty contribute to people dying from snakebites. When snakebite victims reach hospitals, medical staff often also lack knowledge and the most important resource: antivenom. Low-cost imported products from Asia dominate the market, while the quality and efficacy of many preparations are often not proven or controlled. In addition, products are available that were developed for Indian snakebites but are ineffective against bites from snake species native to African countries.
Finally, Benno Kreuels noted that despite snakebite envenoming being included on the WHO list of NTDs, research funding remains insufficient. All these factors make the fight against snakebites in Africa extremely difficult, to the detriment of affected populations.
The event was moderated by Carsten Köhler, Director of the Competence Centre for Tropical Medicine Baden-Württemberg at the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Travel Medicine and Human Parasitology of the University Hospital Tübingen. He impressively demonstrated how closely global health, animal health, and environmental health are interconnected. In addition to expert presentations, participants gained insights into the husbandry of venomous snakes at Aquarium Berlin. Snakebite envenoming stands as a prime example of the challenges of neglected tropical diseases—and of the need to address them through a holistic One Health approach.
