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The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is an aquatic monotreme native to eastern Australia and Tasmania. The male has a spur on each hind leg with a crural (venom) gland underneath the thigh muscle. Envenomation occurs when the hind legs are used to grasp the victim and the crural gland is squeezed, releasing venom through the spur. There is little known about platypus venom, which contains multiple proteins and peptides. Ornithorhynchus venom nerve growth factor (OvNGF) is thought to contribute to allodynia and pain. Other peptides in the venom are thought to impart greater stability of the venom in vivo, which may contribute to the long duration of pain reported by exposed individuals. In vitro, crude venom causes smooth muscle relaxation, haemolysis and calcium‐dependent non‐specific cation current into neuronal cells, which in vivo may produce oedema, nerve firing and pain.

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Authors: Irene M Moyer de Miguel, Jennifer C Jamieson, Lori Coulson and Ingrid Berling

Article Type: Medical Education