📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Matt Gould
Health
Snakebite Fatalities Surge Across Odisha, Health Officials Warn
✍️ Kanak News Odisha
🗓 25 Aug 2026, 10:19 PM
👁 3
State health authorities report a noticeable increase in deaths caused by snakebites, urging faster medical response and public awareness.
Odisha's health department has confirmed a rise in the number of deaths attributed to snakebites across the state. Officials said the upward trend has been observed over recent weeks and is prompting concern among medical authorities.
Public health experts point to seasonal factors such as increased agricultural activity and monsoon flooding, which bring people into closer contact with venomous snakes in rural areas. Limited availability of antivenom in remote clinics further complicates timely treatment.
In response, the state has issued an advisory urging residents to seek immediate medical care after any snakebite and to ensure that local health centres are stocked with adequate antivenom supplies. Training programmes for frontline health workers are being accelerated to improve emergency response.
Authorities also appeal to the community to adopt preventive measures, including wearing protective footwear, clearing vegetation around homes, and staying alert while working in fields or forests.
Public health experts point to seasonal factors such as increased agricultural activity and monsoon flooding, which bring people into closer contact with venomous snakes in rural areas. Limited availability of antivenom in remote clinics further complicates timely treatment.
In response, the state has issued an advisory urging residents to seek immediate medical care after any snakebite and to ensure that local health centres are stocked with adequate antivenom supplies. Training programmes for frontline health workers are being accelerated to improve emergency response.
Authorities also appeal to the community to adopt preventive measures, including wearing protective footwear, clearing vegetation around homes, and staying alert while working in fields or forests.