Micrurus snake bites can cause death by muscle paralysis and respiratory arrest, few hours after envenomation.
The specific treatment for coral snake envenomation is the intravenous application of heterologous antivenom and, in
Brazil, it is produced by horse immunization with a mixture of M. corallinus and M. frontalis venoms, snakes that inhabit the
South and Southeastern regions of the country. However, this antivenom might be inefficient, considering the existence of
intra- and inter-specific variations in the composition of the venoms. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to
investigate the toxic properties of venoms from nine species of Micrurus: eight present in different geographic regions of
Brazil (M. frontalis, M. corallinus, M. hemprichii, M. spixii, M. altirostris, M. surinamensis, M. ibiboboca, M. lemniscatus) and one
(M. fulvius) with large distribution in Southeastern United States and Mexico. This study also analyzed the antigenic crossreactivity
and the neutralizing potential of the Brazilian coral snake antivenom against these Micrurus venoms.