Mom sucks snake venom from son's leg

A pregnant California mom sucked rattlesnake venom from her 4-year-old son’s ankle this month after the boy accidentally stepped on the reptile during a hike.

KFOR.com reported that Jaclyn Caramazza and her son Vinny were walking on a bike trial in Folsom, which is outside Sacramento, when the boy came in contact with the venomous snake.

She found two puncture wounds and the boy’s ankle turned purple and began to balloon, the report said.

Caramazza said she remembered episodes of “Bonanza,” where the actors would respond to snake bites by sucking the venom out, and she acted.

Health officials, however, told the station not to suck out venom. Officials said to call 911 and clean the wound with soap and water.

The report said the mother and unborn child were not affected by the possible venom exposure and that Vinny is expected to make a full recovery.

Rattlesnake sightings are up, largely due to the warm, dry weather that has gripped much of the West.

A 2-year-old girl was bitten by a rattlesnake in suburban San Francisco on Tuesday night.

The girl, who was not identified, was in the backyard of her home in a community east of San Francisco about 8 p.m. when the attack occurred.

Contra Costa Fire Battalion Chief Josh Andrews says crews found the snake nearby.

Officials say the toddler was treated on scene and then transported by medical helicopter to UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland, California. The child's condition was not immediately available Wednesday morning.

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