Data from a centre treating snakebite victims in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, show that many patients bitten by the saw-scaled viper weren't responding well to the standard Indian polyvalent antivenom.
The study from IISc found a previously unidentified yeast-like symbiont inside the lac insect Kerria lacca, which gives the insect its distinctive red colour and, may also provide other nutrients in return for shelter.
