Hyderabad: In 2024, Telangana reported as many as 2,479 snakebite cases with no fatalities, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Most snakebite deaths occur in densely populated, low-altitude agricultural regions.
According to the DC report, In India, the burden of premature death due to snakebite envenoming is estimated at 2.97 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), while the global burden stands at approximately 6.07 million DALYs. Data from the Central Bureau of Health Investigation (CBHI) for the period 2016–2020 indicate that India experiences roughly 300,000 snakebite cases annually, with about 2,000 deaths resulting from envenoming.
9 states including Telangana account for 70 pc of Snakebite fatalities
Several factors contribute to the high incidence of snakebites. Geographical elements such as lower altitude and the extensive, intensively farmed arable land create favourable conditions for medically significant snake species.
Grain agriculture, in particular, tends to attract high populations of rodents and amphibians—the natural prey of snakes leading to increased snake densities. Additionally, agricultural labourers are at heightened risk due to their reliance on traditional, non-mechanized farming methods.
States such as Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat account for 70% of these fatalities, especially during the rainy season when increased human activity both at home and outdoors leads to more frequent snake encounters.
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