- Prashant
- BBC Tamil
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What should we do immediately after a snake bite? Can snakes take revenge? What are the treatments for snakebite?
We will discuss the answers to these questions in detail in this article.
India accounts for half of the world’s snakebite deaths every year.
In 2017, the World Health Organization put snakebite on the list of neglected tropical diseases.
There are some important reasons for this. Inadequate data on deaths, snakebite victims often rely on myths and take wrong treatments, lack of anti-snake anti-venom drugs. There are various challenges like this in the case of snakebite.
How many people die from snake bites in India?
The World Health Organization estimates that fifty million people are bitten by snakes worldwide each year, and nearly twenty-seven million of these are venomous.
It has been revealed through various reports that 81 thousand to 1 lakh 38 thousand people die every year due to snake bites.
Most snakebites go unreported because victims seek non-medical treatment or lack access to adequate medical facilities.
A study published in July 2020 says that 12 lakh people have died from snake bites in India from the year 2000 to 2019. That means on an average 58 thousand lives are lost every year due to snake bites.
What are the superstitions prevalent in India?
Experts say there are various superstitions in India regarding snakes and snake bites.
Worship of God
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Generally some communities in India worship snakes as gods. Tribal communities believe that God has sent snakes to protect their farmlands.
Also, Dr. Rahu Gajpi, who is involved in the study, says that certain beliefs prevailing among these communities about snakes are responsible for the increase in snakebite deaths.
Will the snakes take revenge?
It has been shown in many Indian movies that snakes seek revenge and kill people. Analysts say this is a bad myth.
Dr. Kajpi himself says that tribal communities believe that if someone kills a cobra, the snake’s partner will come to seek revenge, but this is a bad myth. Some of these superstitions and unestablished medical treatments are still practiced in some parts of India.
Mouth scraping at the bitten areas
In some parts of India, if you are bitten by a snake, you see witch doctors instead of doctors.
Not only that, the practice of reciting mantras and using unestablished herbs as first aid is also widespread.
There have been many movie scenes of people cutting the place of a snake bite and sucking the poison with their mouth. But doctors say that this model should not be done.
What to do if bitten by a snake?
According to researchers, 70 percent of reported snakebites in India are from non-venomous snakes and 30 percent from venomous snakes.
Go to the nearest doctor immediately after a snake bite.
Do not take any other food or alternative medicine before going to the hospital.
A bitten person should not walk or drive to the hospital. Be safe in an ambulance or other vehicle. Colonies, rings, jewelry and tight clothing must be removed from the snake bite site.
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Washing the wounds, scraping them, wrapping them tightly, applying any herbs, etc. are more harmful than beneficial.
In particular, experts strongly suggest that immediately after a snake bite, a person should immediately go to the hospital without wasting time in the name of alternative medicine.
Does India have enough medicines?
Snake venom is also used to break the venom of snakes, like saying that a thorn should be taken with a thorn. Anti-venom medicines are made from the venom extracted from snakes.
In 1895, French physician Albert Calmette developed the first anti-venom against Indian cobra venom.
But there are two major challenges to using antivenoms in India, says Dr Sharma.
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Dr Sharma says that there is a shortage of medicines and there are many problems in transporting anti-venom medicines from one place to another.
Without this, there is insufficient awareness of how much medication to administer to the patient. Investigators also report that medical staff are not properly trained.
Four important snakes
Not all snakes you see are venomous.
There are nearly 300 species of snakes in India. Only sixty species of snakes are venomous. Four snakes in particular are responsible for most of the damage.
Glass Cobras
Glass viper is one of the most dangerous snakes found in India. The head of the glass spore is triangular in shape. A ‘V’ shaped white line is also seen. The glass beetle is usually found in grassy and shrubby areas.
Bandage
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Next is the garter snake. This snake is usually seen mostly at night. It can be identified by the white stripes on its slightly black body.
Indian dragon
Cobras have a wide variety of colors and adaptations. It is commonly found in forests, plains and agricultural lands. Also, it can be seen in densely populated urban areas.
Curly viryan
Finally, the curled viper, although small in size, is highly lethal. Among the rattlesnakes, the curly rattlesnake is generally smaller in size. However, its venom can cause severe damage.
The best decision is to go to the hospital immediately without panicking after a snake bite. Overall various measures are needed to protect people from snakes and at the same time to control the destruction of snakes.
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