Mir Afroz Zaman

It is not only the panting condition that develops in people during intense heat. A similar situation is created in the case of snakes. Venomous snakes also become active in extreme heat.

Snake Rescue Team Bangladesh, a voluntary organization that works with snakes, says that there is a risk of increasing the prevalence of snakes in the current fire in the country. The organization is also asking people to be careful at this time.

Vice President of the organization. Zobaidur Rahman said, they have been working for several years to create awareness about snakebite and rescue snakes.

He mentioned that the trend of snakebite is more common this year compared to last year i.e. 2023.

They get calls from families of snakebite victims from different parts of the country. Besides, they also received calls to rescue snakes.

Those who have training and certification under the Forest Department in Bangladesh can work in wildlife rescue.

“The number of emergency calls we received this year has increased compared to last year. We are getting four to five emergency calls every day.

” Jahangirnagar University zoology professor Professor Monirul Khan said that snakes are cold-blooded animals. Snakes are more active in summer and less active in winter.

"If you think about our country, barring a few weeks in December-January, snakes are generally active throughout the year," said Prof Khan.

Snakes are cold-blooded animals

A group of researchers from Emory University in the United States studied the relationship between heat and the behavior of snakes.

In the study, they said, snakebite rates increased by six percent when the temperature rose to 0.8 degrees Fahrenheit.

“The outside temperature affects the snake's body temperature. This also changes their behavior,” the study said.

The study was conducted in Georgia, USA. This research has been conducted for about seven years. Georgia and Kentucky have the highest number of snakebite deaths in the US.

According to the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife, snakes are cold-blooded animals. To be more precise they are 'ectothermic'.

Snakes cannot tolerate severe cold. Then they hibernate inside the burrow. On the other hand, snakes also avoid intense heat. Snakes move early in the morning, evening and at night when temperatures are high. Then they become active for food.

Researchers say snakes seek shade, darkness, moisture and food during extreme heat. Snakes seek moist environments to keep themselves cool. That's why many times they can come around people's houses.

Homes where there is such an environment can be visited by snakes. Experts say this is normal.

If there is no such environment, there is very little chance of snakes coming there. Snakes dislike open spaces and open positions.

Snake bites are neglected

The World Health Organization says that snakebite deaths are still largely neglected among non-communicable diseases worldwide. 45 to 55 million people are victims of snake bites in different countries of the world.

The World Health Organization estimates that 80,000 to 1,40,000 people die.

Global Snakebite Initiative reports that 4.5 million people, including 2.7 million men, women and children, are bitten by snakes worldwide every year.

This organization is working to deal with the problem of snake bites.

"A lot of people don't realize how widespread a problem snakebites are," explains Leslie Boyer, founding director of the University of Arizona Institute in the US, which researches the chemistry, drugs and emergency treatment of snake venoms.

The World Health Organization considers snakebites to be a major problem for some communities, and has recently classified snakebite poisoning as a neglected tropical disease.

Snakebite is now recognized as one of the world's most neglected health problems - one that has a huge negative impact on the health of the world's poor. Still many people take the patient to Ojha or Kaviraj first after snakebite.

What is the situation in Bangladesh?

Earlier, a statistic of the Department of Health published in 2023 showed that about four lakh three thousand people were bitten by snakes in the country every year and seven thousand 511 of them died every year.

The study was conducted by the Non Communicable Disease Control Unit of the Department of Health.

A quarter of all snakebite cases are venomous, with 10.6% physical disability and 1.9% mental disability. 95 percent of snakebite victims are in rural areas and 1.4 percent more males are at risk of snakebite than females.

According to the World Health Organization, the population most at risk of snakebite is poor people in villages, agricultural workers, fishermen.

It is difficult to confirm whether the number of snakebite deaths in Bangladesh has increased compared to the previous 15-20.

"Earlier news was not spread like this. Now news is spreading fast due to social media. Everyone is getting to know it quickly. That's why the incidence of snake bites seems to have increased,” said Professor Khan.

Snakes are generally long-lived. Small snakes live up to 12 years. Large snakes can live up to 40 years.

Researchers say that snakes are not vegetarians. Snakes definitely eat meat.

Snakes prey on a variety of insects, fish and other reptiles in their diet.

Some snakes also like eggs. Snakes that hunt usually swallow their prey directly.

Researchers say that snakes are generally monogamous animals. They do not move in groups.

Monsoon season is also dangerous

When the rainy season comes in Bangladesh, snake bites become a matter of fear for the rural people. Venomous snake bites often kill people.

According to the 2022 survey of the Ministry of Health, about four lakh people are victims of snakebites in Bangladesh every year, resulting in more than seven and a half thousand deaths.

The rate of snakebites in Bangladesh increases during the rainy season.

Every year during the rainy season i.e. May, June and July - these three months are the most common for snake bites and deaths due to them.

Because due to heavy rainfall, the habitats or burrows of snakes sink. They then roam in high places, often around human settlements.

As a result, if you are a little careless, the risk of snake bite increases a lot.

Application of antivenom is essential after any venomous snake bite. Otherwise the risk of death of the patient is high.

Although the application of antivenom to the patient's body is most important, the hospitals of Bangladesh still do not have enough of this essential drug.

Although antivenom is listed as an essential drug by the World Health Organization, snakebite is still a neglected public health problem in Bangladesh.

Substances that are effective against venom or can neutralize venom are called antivenom.

Antivenom is essential

Former Director General of Health Department and President of Bangladesh Toxicology Society MA Faiz has written a book on snake bite and its treatment.

There he mentioned that the patient can die after an average of eight hours after Gokhro snake bite, 18 hours after Keute snake bite and 72 hours or three days after Chandrabora snake bite.

In most cases it is necessary to apply antivenom within this time frame.

After a snake bite or sting, if antivenom is injected quickly, the antibodies to the antivenom can neutralize the venom. As a result the life or limb of the affected person is saved.

After a snake bite, a patient needs 10 injections of antivenom. It contains 10 vials of one dose.

One or more doses of antivenom may be required if the amount of venom and degree of toxicity is high.

Doctors basically admit the patient to the hospital and treat his various symptoms.

These symptoms include body numbness, dizziness, chest tightness, shortness of breath, incoherent use, temporary drop in blood pressure.

As the antivenom of venomous snakes varies from snake to snake, the same antivenom can neutralize the venom of several types of venomous snakes.

According to the Bangladesh Toxicology Society, the antivenom brought into Bangladesh is essentially a 'cocktail' or mixture of four snake venoms, which work to treat some snake bites. In other cases they work partially.

Sometimes by looking at the pattern of the snake bite, again by testing the blood, doctors can understand whether it is a venomous snake bite or a non-venomous snake bite.

Still, doctors suggest to note or take pictures of snake bites to see what kind of snake it is or what it looks like.

According to them, this description of the snake can help in planning the treatment later.