Camel Tears as Snakebite Antivenom: Scientists Clarify Misleading Viral Claim

A viral claim suggesting that a single drop of camel tears contains antibodies capable of neutralizing venom from 26 different snake species has been debunked by medical experts. The assertion, which spread rapidly across social media platforms, significantly misrepresents current scientific research on animal-derived antivenoms.

The claim originated on Bluesky in late November when user @pleasebegneiss.bsky.social posted a humorous scenario about rushing a camel into an emergency room to watch “The Notebook” to collect its tears for treating a snakebite victim. While presented as a breakthrough in antivenom science, toxicology experts confirm this characterization is misleading and lacks scientific context.

Dr. Kim Aldy, an emergency room physician and toxicologist at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas, explained the fundamental scientific error in the claim. “A camel that has not been exposed to snake venom will not have antibodies against snake venom,” Aldy stated in correspondence with fact-checkers. “So the claim being circulated is out of context.”

The viral post fails to mention that any potential antivenom properties would only appear in the tears of camels previously immunized with snake venom—a crucial distinction that completely changes the scientific understanding of the process.

This immunization process is not unique to camels. As Dr. Aldy, who serves as Program Director at the American College of Medical Toxicology, clarified: “This is the same process used to create the current US snake antivenom in sheep, and what was previously done in horses. Once immunized, these camels will generate snake venom antibodies in their blood, and antibodies can also appear in other bodily secretions, like tears.”

The presence of antibodies in tears is actually common across species. “Humans also have antibodies in our tears, so this is not unique,” Aldy noted. “If I was immunized with small doses of snake venom over time—which I would not recommend—it’s possible that I would also have antibodies to snake venom in my tears!”

Research published in the National Library of Medicine in 2025 does show scientists investigating antibodies derived from camelid species such as alpacas and llamas for potential use in snakebite treatments. However, these studies represent early-stage research conducted on mice in laboratory settings, not proven human treatments.

The researchers themselves acknowledged that while their findings offer “hope for advancing such snakebite envenoming therapeutics to future clinical application,” they are far from declaring a functional human antivenom derived directly from camel tears.

What makes camelid antibodies of particular interest to researchers is their potential to create antivenoms that don’t require refrigeration—a significant advantage for use in tropical regions where snakebites are common and cold storage facilities limited. However, these would be laboratory-derived products from immunized animals, not raw tears collected directly from camels.

The viral claim exemplifies how scientific research can become distorted as it spreads through social media. By omitting critical details about immunization requirements and exaggerating the current state of research, what began as promising laboratory findings transformed into a misleading claim about miracle cures.

Snakebite treatments remain an important area of medical research, particularly for regions with limited healthcare infrastructure. While camelid-derived antibodies show promise, experts emphasize that effective treatments require rigorous scientific development and clinical trials before becoming viable options for human use.