Snakebites: Prevention and control
5 years, 8 months ago

Snakebites: Prevention and control

The Hindu  

“It must be something I did in my last life; I have been bitten by snakes some five times,” rues Ameresan. “Technology has come in handy,” says Dr. Ragunanthanan; the picture taken on Raja’s phone helped them treat him early. India sees 45,000 snakebite deaths every year, finds the 2011 ‘Million Death Study’. Silent killer On May 23, WHO launched a new programme — ‘Snakebite Envenoming: A Strategy for Prevention and Control’, the core of which is to bring down the number of snakebite deaths and casualties by 50% before 2030. “Just like the nationwide HIV and polio drives, the government needs to put a new programme in place for snakebite.” This might be unlikely because snakebite “is a poor man’s disease,” as a doctor from Kochi points out.

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History of this topic

Snakebites a major health concern in Assam
2 months ago

Snakebites a major health concern in Assam

The Hindu  

Experts have identified delayed medical intervention and lack of awareness of proper first-aid measures as factors behind snakebites becoming a major public health concern in Assam. Snakebite specialists who attended a capacity-building workshop on ethical snake rescue and snakebite prevention in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve on January 27-28 said Assam recorded 36 deaths due to snakebites in 2024. …

Snakebites across country, do something; take States on board, Supreme Court to Union Government
2 months ago

Snakebites across country, do something; take States on board, Supreme Court to Union Government

The Hindu  

The Supreme Court of India on Monday observed that the issue of snakebites was prevalent "throughout the country" and asked the Union Government to take all States on board to "do something" in making available snakebite treatment at medical facilities. The plea sought directions to make available anti-venom and snakebite treatment at health centres, government hospitals and medical colleges to …

SC urges Centre to tackle snakebite crisis
2 months ago

SC urges Centre to tackle snakebite crisis

Deccan Chronicle  

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday observed the issue of snakebites was prevalent "throughout the country" and asked the Centre to take all states on board to "do something" in making available snakebite treatment in medical facilities. The plea sought directions to make available anti-venom and snakebite treatment at health centres, government hospitals and medical colleges to save lives …

Karnataka saw a sharp rise in recorded snakebites, deaths in 2024
2 months, 1 week ago

Karnataka saw a sharp rise in recorded snakebites, deaths in 2024

The Hindu  

Recorded cases of snakebite envenoming and deaths in Karnataka have seen a sharp rise from 6,596 bite cases and 19 deaths in 2023 to 13,235 bite cases and 101 deaths in 2024. This follows Karnataka declaring snakebite envenoming cases and deaths notifiable under the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Act, 2020, in February 2024. Following a huge gap between the number of …

TG Urged to Implement Snakebites Notification System
4 months ago

TG Urged to Implement Snakebites Notification System

Deccan Chronicle  

Hyderabad:The Union health ministry has declared snakebite cases and deaths as notifiable under public health regulations. The inclusion of private healthcare providers addresses long-standing gaps in public health surveillance. India accounts for a high number of global deaths caused by snakebites, with fragmented data systems making it difficult to gauge the true scale of the issue. Meanwhile, the state health …

Tamil Nadu declares snakebite envenoming a notifiable disease
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Tamil Nadu declares snakebite envenoming a notifiable disease

The Hindu  

In a significant move to tackle the public health challenge of snakebites, the Tamil Nadu government has officially declared snakebite envenomation as a notifiable disease under the Tamil Nadu Public Health Act, 1939. was issued in this regard by the Health and Family Welfare Department on November 4, following which a notification was published in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette …

Snakebite continues to be a deadly problem in India
7 months, 1 week ago

Snakebite continues to be a deadly problem in India

The Hindu  

“Around 58,000 people are estimated to be dying of snakebite in India, and probably three times that number suffer snake bite morbidity,” says Kartik Sunagar, an associate professor at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, who heads the Evolutionary Venomics Lab at the Centre for Ecological Sciences. “It is not the politicians and popular sports persons that are getting bitten …

It’s hard to find treatment for snakebites in Kenya. Thousands of people are dying every year
9 months, 1 week ago

It’s hard to find treatment for snakebites in Kenya. Thousands of people are dying every year

Associated Press  

MWINGI, Kenya — Esther Kangali felt a sharp pain while on her mother’s farm in eastern Kenya. Overall in Kenya, about 4,000 snakebite victims die every year while 7,000 others experience paralysis or other health complications, according to the local Institute of Primate Research. “We are causing adverse effects on their habitats like forest destruction, and eventually we are having …

It's hard to find treatment for snakebites in Kenya. Thousands of people are dying every year
9 months, 1 week ago

It's hard to find treatment for snakebites in Kenya. Thousands of people are dying every year

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Overall in Kenya, about 4,000 snakebite victims die every …

Are snakebites rising in South Asia — and what’s responsible?
1 year ago

Are snakebites rising in South Asia — and what’s responsible?

Al Jazeera  

A study from Sri Lanka suggests climate change will spark a rise in the numbers of people receiving snakebites. The krait possibly worked as an excellent metaphor because the fear of venomous snakes is very real and pervasive in India, among other South Asian countries including Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The WHO announced last year that it is stepping …

Snakebite cases and deaths now notifiable in Karnataka
1 year, 1 month ago

Snakebite cases and deaths now notifiable in Karnataka

The Hindu  

Following a huge gap between the number of snakebite envenoming and deaths reported from direct surveys and in official data, Karnataka has now made snakebite deaths and cases notifiable under the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Act, 2020. Following this, the State Health Department has directed all hospitals and medical colleges including private facilities to mandatorily enter all snakebite cases and deaths …

India is ignoring its deadly snakebite crisis
2 years ago

India is ignoring its deadly snakebite crisis

The Hindu  

Published : Mar 11, 2023 16:16 IST Himar Jatt was busy with his daily routine of grazing his camels in the dense mangroves of Bachau, a small district in the Gujarat state in India, when he suddenly felt a pain in his left foot. Doctors and public health experts cite several reasons for the snakebite crisis, including holy reverence for …

Snakebite a ‘Disease’ of Poverty: ICMR Has a Plan to Help WHO Achieve Its Goal to Cut Deaths by Half
2 years, 1 month ago

Snakebite a ‘Disease’ of Poverty: ICMR Has a Plan to Help WHO Achieve Its Goal to Cut Deaths by Half

News 18  

Posters, cartoon messages, videos on prevention and first aid — the Indian Council of Medical Research is ready with the plan to achieve the World Health Organization’s goal to cut down snakebite deaths to half by 2030. India’s apex health research institute has published the National Snakebite Project protocol aiming for community empowerment and capacity building of the public healthcare …

Wake Up & Smell the Venom: Snakebite Kills An Indian Every 10 Minutes - News18
2 years, 6 months ago

Wake Up & Smell the Venom: Snakebite Kills An Indian Every 10 Minutes - News18

News 18  

It was around 9:30pm when Babita Roy reached into her cupboard at her Mohali home for a piece of clothing. Two rat snakes were found entangled in nets!” The rescuer recounted some chilling moments when Delhiites came face to face with a snake: A Common Krait snake was spotted preying on a crow in the swimming pool of a farmhouse …

Immediate steps after bite are crucial, says expert
3 years, 8 months ago

Immediate steps after bite are crucial, says expert

The Hindu  

Jaideep C. Menon is a cardiologist at Amrita Hospital, Kochi, and a member of the ICMR task force on snakebite and is on the WHO expert panel on snakebite. Half of the remaining 35 are ‘dry’ bites, where a venomous snake bites without actually injecting venom. Where do they occur Majority of bites occur in individuals at their work sites; …

A turning point likely in snakebite treatment
3 years, 8 months ago

A turning point likely in snakebite treatment

The Hindu  

Snakebites account for around 58,000 deaths in the country annually. Without a proper diagnostic system, the conventional clinical practice involves administering a polyvalent anti-snake venom which is currently developed using the venoms of four species, viz., Russel’s viper, spectacled cobra, common krait and the saw-scaled viper. Ltd., a start-up incubated at SCTIMST-TIMed, a technology business incubator at the Sree Chitra …

India recorded 1.2 million snakebite deaths in the past two decades
4 years, 8 months ago

India recorded 1.2 million snakebite deaths in the past two decades

The Hindu  

India recorded a staggering 1.2 million snakebite deaths in the 20-year period from 2000 to 2019 with an average of 58,000 deaths caused by snakebite annually. The paper titled ‘Trends in snakebite deaths in India from 2000 to 2019 in a nationally representative mortality study’ indicated that most of the envenomation was by Russell’s vipers followed by kraits and cobras. …

More than 100,000 people die from snakebites every year. Why is it so hard to treat them?
5 years, 6 months ago

More than 100,000 people die from snakebites every year. Why is it so hard to treat them?

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. In all antivenom, relatively few of the antibodies produced …

All about antivenom
5 years, 7 months ago

All about antivenom

The Hindu  

According to the World Health Organization, snakebites claim more than 100,000 lives globally. India sees 45,000 snakebite deaths every year, finds the 2011 ‘Million Death Study’. Interestingly, the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, came up with much lower figures in the Lok Sabha — 689 deaths only in 2018. On May 23, WHO launched …

Hyderabad: Emergency treatment critical in snakebite
5 years, 10 months ago

Hyderabad: Emergency treatment critical in snakebite

Deccan Chronicle  

Hyderabad: Nearly 50 per cent cases of snakebites have been observed to cause death and disability and therefore, it is critical that pre-hospitalisation and emergency treatment is administered as per the guidelines issued by the World Health Organization to India. Between 1.8 and 2.7 million people get bit every year, and management in the first three hours after the bite …

Snakebites Make The List Of 'Neglected Tropical Diseases'
7 years, 9 months ago

Snakebites Make The List Of 'Neglected Tropical Diseases'

NPR  

Snakebites Make The List Of 'Neglected Tropical Diseases' Snakebites kill more than 100,000 people per year, the World Health Organization estimates. The organization recently took a step to reduce that number by adding venomous snake bites to its list of neglected tropical diseases – a classification that could help get more resources allocated to fighting this public health problem. Sponsor …

Man makes deadly snakes bite him 160 times in hunt for human antidote
9 years, 2 months ago

Man makes deadly snakes bite him 160 times in hunt for human antidote

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors …

Why A Snakebite Victim In An Indian Village Won't Walk Through A Door
9 years, 6 months ago

Why A Snakebite Victim In An Indian Village Won't Walk Through A Door

NPR  

Why A Snakebite Victim In An Indian Village Won't Walk Through A Door When a young boy in a village in Jangjir, India, came home with a snakebite, his family needed to get him to a clinic. "You can't take the patient out through the doorway," says the boy's neighbor Bedmathi, who goes by one name. "They just don't believe …

The World Is Running Out Of A Critical Snakebite Antidote
9 years, 6 months ago

The World Is Running Out Of A Critical Snakebite Antidote

NPR  

The World Is Running Out Of A Critical Snakebite Antidote Enlarge this image toggle caption Balint Porneczi/Bloomberg/Getty Images Balint Porneczi/Bloomberg/Getty Images The treatment is called Fav-Afrique. "I think this is really a health crisis," says Dr. Gabriel Alcoba, the snakebite medical adviser for Doctors Without Borders. Across the world, about 100,000 people die of snakebites each year, Doctors Without Borders …

Snakebite Threat Gets Short Shrift
13 years, 3 months ago

Snakebite Threat Gets Short Shrift

NPR  

Snakebite Threat Gets Short Shrift Enlarge this image toggle caption Asit Kumar/AFP/Getty Images Asit Kumar/AFP/Getty Images If you're poor and living in the Indian countryside, there's a life-threatening problem that can slither right into your life — a poisonous snake. "It's really a big problem for rural areas in tropical and subtropical developing countries," says Ulrich Kuch, head of the …

The Global Snakebite Initiative-英语点津
15 years, 11 months ago

The Global Snakebite Initiative-英语点津

China Daily  

Download Scientists say the people most often bitten may be the least able to get good treatment. To help improve the situation, experts have formed an international project called the Global Snakebite Initiative. Doctor Winkel and university scientist David Williams are among the organizers of the Global Snakebite Initiative. The Global Snakebite Initiative is trying to increase the availability of …

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