HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh logged the highest number of snakebite deaths in the country after Odisha in 2019, according to the Union ministry of health and family welfare. Telangana is among the states with lowest number of snakebite deaths. A total of 3,163 deaths and 1.6 lakh snakebite cases were reported in the country in 2019.
According to the health ministry, 467 deaths related to snakebites were reported in AP. Odisha topped the charts with 1,872 deaths and West Bengal logged 239 deaths. AP saw a steep rise in the deaths as it reported 117 deaths in 2018 and 85 in 2017. The ministry issued directions to all the states to include anti-snake venom serum in essential drugs and states were told to procure the drugs locally for use to the needy.
Avinash Viswanathan of Friends of Snakes Society said snakebite envenomation is a neglected tropical disease that claims lives of over one lakh individuals every year across the world. According to a recent research, it is estimated that 58,000 deaths occur in India each year due to snakebites. “Victims’ ignorance in dealing with snakebites and clinical mismanagement of envenomations are primary causes for morbidity and mortality,” he said. He said there is a correlation between agrarian communities and high frequency of snake encounters and bites. “As per the data of snakebite deaths between 2008 and 2014, most of snakebites and deaths were reported from East Godavari, Kurnool and erstwhile Mahbubnagar in Telangana where cultivation is taken up in a big way.
The data, collected from AP Forensic Science Laboratory, also revealed that most bites were recorded between the months of June and October. Most incidents of bites occurred on legs (68%) and hands (21%). “In our region, spectacled cobra is the most common venomous species. Currently, snakebites deaths are grossly under-reported. Victims often get treated at private hospitals and the data of snakebites treated is seldom communicated to the medical and health authorities,” Avinash said.
