US woman survives cobra bite

A wildlife handler at the Seminole Okalee Indian Village in Florida is in intensive care after being bitten by a poisonous cobra at a Powwow, officials say. Snake handler Giselle Hosein was giving a performance Saturday at her tribe's annual Powwow when she was bitten, The Miami Herald reported. As Hosein put a 3-foot Indian cobra back in its cage, it bit the palm of her hand. "It's a job hazard," said Seminole wildlife manager John Jones. "None of us wants to get bit, and we don't want the public to see us get bit." Hosein was taken to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, where doctors consulted the Poison Control Information Center to determined which antivenin she needed. Lt. Scott Mullin, of the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Venom Response Unit, responded with the venom. Mullin said when he arrived Hosein was suffering from facial paralysis, a typical first snake-bite symptom. "She was very calm," Mullin said. "In a situation like that, hysteria is not your friend." After being given the antivenin, Hosein came out of her paralysis and was in stable condition as of Sunday. "She's completely coherent now," Jones said. "We are educators. We're here to educate the public about the importance of wildlife and conservation. But you're playing with fire. Eventually, you get bitten. It's not a matter of 'if' but 'when.' She definitely won't be feeling good for about a week."