A 47-year-old Dutchman on vacation in a South African nature reserve suffered scrotal necrosis, or tissue death in the scrotum, after a long-nosed cobra ( Naja annulifera ) bit his genitals while in the bathroom. The problem arose that as he was far from a hospital, he had to wait three hours to be airlifted to the nearest trauma center.
This type of snake is not usually aggressive but it is likely that its attack was due to the perception that something was blocking its exit from the toilet.
Although the snake's venom is neurotoxic, it was fortunate to avoid any neurological symptoms. When he arrived at the hospital, the man had a fever but was conscious. He was administered an antivenom and was transferred to intensive care.
The medical team had to remove dead tissue from his genitals and replaced tissue removed from his groin in the penis and scrotum.
