![A saw viper on a tray of anti-venom at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/global-health/2020/12/30/TELEMMGLPICT000197070024_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqpVlberWd9EgFPZtcLiMQfyf2A9a6I9YchsjMeADBa08.jpeg?imwidth=680)
Snakebite victims seek help in crucial early hours after awareness campaign, study shows
Lack of knowledge on snakes and snakebites is the 'biggest killer', researcher warns
![A saw viper on a tray of anti-venom at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/global-health/2020/12/30/TELEMMGLPICT000197070024_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqpVlberWd9EgFPZtcLiMQfyf2A9a6I9YchsjMeADBa08.jpeg?imwidth=680)
A low-cost public awareness campaign has led to an increase in the number of people seeking treatment for snakebite in the crucial early hours after being bitten, a study has shown.
The £25,000 campaign, delivered to around three million people in Tamil Nadu in India by a team of Indian and UK researchers, saw the number of people seeking medical treatment for snakebites at the region’s main hospital within the first four hours of being bitten increase from 60 per cent to 95 per cent, the research, published in the journal Plos Neglected Tropical Diseases, has shown.
Every year 5.4 million people globally are bitten by snakes and between 81,000 and 138,000 die. Of those who survive, 400,000 suffer life changing injuries including amputations, nerve damage, sight loss and terrible open ulcers that never heal.
The economic impact is huge, with victims unable to work. There is a desperate shortage of anti venom, and preventive measures crucial to stopping people from dying and being maimed.
In India alone snakes kill around 46,000 people die every yeas. The country has about 200 species of snake, 60 of which are venomous but it is the “big four” snakes - the Russell’s viper, Indian cobra, Indian krait and saw-scaled viper - that cause most of the death and disability.
A lack of awareness about what to do in the event of a bite and poor recognition of venomous and non-venomous snakes mean thousands do not seek the treatment they need, said Dr Sakthi Vaiyapuri, associate professor in cardiovascular and venom pharmacology at the University of Reading, who led the research.
“The lack of public awareness about the dangers of snake and snakebites is a big killer in India. People know they are dangerous but have little idea who to do and what not to do if they are bitten,” he said.
He added: “People don’t know the difference between venomous and non-venomous snakes and doctors don’t know about snakebite because they don’t study it at medical school.”
Dr Vaiyapuri said people often seek treatment from traditional healers and make the mistake of applying tourniquets to the affected limb. This restricts the blood flow and often results in amputation, he said.
The campaign was targeted at rural communities in Tamil Nadu and used a mixture of videos, information leaflets and posters and social media posts. The video included information on what to do in the event of a bite and stressed that urgent medical attention was required.
Researchers also went into schools and delivered a symposium to doctors about snakebite. The awareness campaign was carried out in 2019 and a comparison of hospital admissions for snakebite in 2018 and 2019 suggested that it was a success, the research showed.
Some 291 patients came to Tamil Nadu’s main hospital in 2019 with snakebite compared to 223 in 2018. More than nine out of 10 - 95 per cent - patients in 2019 came with four hours, compared to 60 per cent in 2018. The research also showed that 97 per cent of patients in 2019 came to hospital without seeking alternative treatment compared to 63 per cent in 2018.
Dr Vaiyapuri said the awareness approach could be adapted for other countries and for other diseases. “This was the first time anyone had done this type of approach and the fact people came to hospital more quickly showed it was successful in changing behaviour,” he said.
“The four-hour window is extremely important for someone to get effective treatment after being bitten by a venomous snake. Timely access to healthcare will save lives,” he said.
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