3 months ago
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Karnataka has recorded a dependable and crisp summation successful reported snakebite cases implicit the past 5 years, with 16,805 cases and 154 deaths reported successful 2025, according to information from the Health Department’s Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) portal.
The State reported 950 cases successful 2021. The fig roseate to 3,439 successful 2022 and 6,596 successful 2023. In 2024, cases much than doubled to 13,235, earlier expanding further successful 2025.
In presumption of fatalities, Koppal recorded the highest fig of snakebite deaths astatine 13 successful 2025. Chamarajnagar followed with 12 deaths, portion Raichur, Dharwad and Davanagere recorded 10 deaths each successful 2025. Several different districts person reported deaths successful azygous digits, portion a fewer person reported 1 oregon nary deaths truthful acold this year. From zero mortality successful 2021, deaths accrued to 17, 19, 100 and 154 successful the 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 respectively.
Notifiable disease
Health officials property portion of the emergence to strengthened surveillance aft snakebite was declared a notifiable disease, making it mandatory for authorities and backstage wellness facilities to study cases and deaths.
In February 2024, Karnataka became the archetypal State successful India to state snakebite arsenic a notifiable condition, institutionalising real-time reporting done the nationalist wellness surveillance system. This marked a captious displacement from episodic effect to data-driven governance.
In districts
District-wise information for 2025 shows that Shivamogga has recorded the highest fig of snakebite cases astatine 1,002. Other districts with precocious lawsuit load this twelvemonth see Chikkaballapur, Hassan, Mandya, Mysuru and Koppal, reflecting a attraction of cases successful agrarian and forest-fringe regions.
At the little end, BBMP (Bengaluru metropolis limits) reported 75 cases successful 2025, the lowest among reporting units successful the State. Urban districts and areas with little cultivation vulnerability mostly grounds less cases compared to predominantly agrarian districts, officials said.
Improved surveillance
Padma M.R., Deputy Director, State Surveillance Unit, said improved lawsuit detection and mandatory reporting person strengthened information accuracy. “With snakebite classified arsenic a notifiable disease, each cases and deaths indispensable beryllium entered connected the IHIP portal. This has improved surveillance,” she said.
She noted that districts with important cultivation activity, plantation enactment and proximity to wood areas thin to study higher incidence due to the fact that of occupational exposure. “Monsoon months typically spot an summation successful cases,” she said.
State enactment plan
Under the State Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (SAPSE) launched connected Friday, the Health Department released a broad roadmap dedicated exclusively to tackling snakebite. Designated snakebite attraction centres crossed districts person been identified and the availability of anti-snake venom ensured.
“Timely medication of anti-snake venom and aboriginal referral successful terrible cases tin forestall astir deaths,” Dr. Padma said. Community consciousness connected contiguous transport to hospitals and avoidance of harmful accepted practices is indispensable to reducing mortality, she said.
Snake varieties
While Karnataka is location to implicit 80 snake species, of which astir 8 to 10 are medically significant, astir recorded bites person travel from cobras, Russell’s vipers and kraits, the authoritative added.
