Kerala announced the Envenomation of Snakebit as a disease of maximum importance of public health under Section 28 of the Public Health Act in Kerala, 2023, allowing better documentation, collecting data, research and administration of Snakebite cases in the state.
The announcement of the Bulletin concerning this was issued on Friday. Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have also recently made snakebites indicating the disease.
Snakebite Envenoming is a condition that represents a serious threat to life. Lack of timely and appropriate treatment can result in death or serious permanent disability.
30 cases
Kerala announced 34 deaths as a result of hadites in 2023–24 and 30 cases in 2024-25, according to the Health Department. This may seem tame compared to some parts of the country, such as Bihar, where several hundreds of snake deaths report each year.
However, Snakebites, classified as one of the neglected tropical diseases of the world health organization, are often reflected in poverty, inequalities and insufficient access to health care and are a priority for the state.
Snakebite Envenomomatition Management has seen several significant developments and initiatives in the country in the last two years.
In March 2024, the Indian government launched a national action plan for prevention and control of Snakebite Envenoming (Nupse), aimed at 2030 by mortality of the snake, by integrating prevention, timely treatment, research and supervision across health, forest, wild animals, agricultural sectors. In November 2024, the Center made a snakebite envenomatization of notifications.
“Now that the state formally issued a notice, all cases of Snakebite envenies in Kerala, which come to any hospital, would have to be reported on the Integrated Surveillance program,” says the head of the medical official.
Technical difficulties
Although Nupse talks about making Anti-Snake Venom (ASV) in primary health centers (PHC), there are some technical problems with regard to ASV administration in primary health centers in the state now. ASV can only be administered in cases of envenies that must be determined according to the nature of the bite and blood parameters, for which PHC does not have to be equipped at present.
However, this scenario would have changed because Kerala is preparing to perform an action plan at the state level for the Snakebite envenient using One Health Access, any of them for whom the funds have already been sanctioned. The plan includes a systematic reduction in the risk of snake envenons by envenons through the permanent range of ASV, strengthening the medical system, in particular the services of reaction to emergencies and the creation of public and education awareness.
The polyvalent ASV produced in the country is standardized for the treatment of four types of snakes- Indian cobra, ordinary krait, Russell’s viper and vipped viper- which is said to be responsible for most of the snake envenhes.
However, the available ASV can now neutralize the poison Pit Viper (Hypnale Hypnale), which now appears as a species causing a significant loss of life in Kerala. In addition to ineffective treatment and unnecessary administration of ASV, the snake can react with a snake poison that causes a cascade of complications.
Study 2016
A study conducted in Kerala in 2016, evaluating the clinical profile of the victims of the snake presented in the Tercary Care Hospital, said that among 47.3% of cases, D. Russelia was 23.1% and H. Hypnale for 15.4%
This emphasizes the critical importance of the development of antiven -specific antiven -specific antivenics for better treatment results for snake cases and make it available widely. Improved medical training of doctors to identify snakes, clinical symptoms of envenies and its management is another critical area on which the state plans to concentrate.
Published – October 11, 2025 17:52
