IDUKKI/KOLLAM/CHERAI/KANNUR: A spate of snakebite incidents across Kerala — including two fatalities — on Sunday, has once again highlighted the growing public safety concern linked to rising temperatures and the resulting surge in human-snake encounters.
In Idukki, an 86-year-old woman died after being bitten by a snake at Kanjar. The deceased, Visalakshi of Thanniykkaparayil, was attacked around noon while plucking mangoes from a tree in her yard.
Living alone, she managed to alert neighbours after the bite but collapsed soon after. She was initially taken to a private hospital in Moolamattom and later shifted to a hospital in Thodupuzha, where she died. A search by forest officials from the Arakkulam section in the premises failed to trace the snake.
A similar tragedy was reported from Kannur, where Nabeesa, 75, of Kalladath under Pattuvam panchayat died while undergoing treatment for a snakebite. She was bitten on Friday while inside her rented house. As she was alone at the time, the delay in identifying the bite proved critical. She was taken to Taliparamba Taluk Hospital and later shifted to Kannur Government Medical College Hospital, where she died on Sunday morning.
Medical experts observed symptoms such as drooping of the eyelids in Nabeesa, pointing to neurotoxic envenomation. Doctors suspect the bite was from a krait, known for its highly potent venom and often undetectable bite marks. Despite administration of anti-snake venom and ventilator support, the patient had already suffered severe neurological damage by the time she reached advanced care.
In contrast, four other snakebite cases reported on Sunday had non-fatal outcomes. In Kollam, a daily wage worker, Sudevan, was bitten on the leg while cleaning a yard near Sangeetha Junction in Ramankulangara. The snake is believed to have been a kukri species, which is mildly venomous. He was admitted to the district hospital, where his condition is stable.
In Ernakulam district, a tourist from Coimbatore, Sharmila, 38, was bitten while walking through the lawn of a resort in Cherai. She was first taken to the North Paravur Taluk Hospital and later shifted to a private hospital. Medical observations indicated stable vitals and normal clotting parameters. Anti-venom was not administered. Local authorities suspect the snake may have been non-venomous, possibly a water snake, though this is yet to be confirmed.
Similarly, a person was admitted to the hospital after being bitten by a snake at his house in Murani, near Mallappally, in Pathanamthitta district, on Sunday afternoon.
Another case of snakebite has been reported from Pattuvam in Kannur, where an elderly woman was injured inside her home. Narayani, 77, a resident of Kavungal in Pattuvam panchayat, was bitten on the hand by a krait while cleaning the premises of her house on Sunday. She was rushed to hospital and is currently admitted to the intensive care unit of Kannur Government Medical College Hospital, Pariyaram, on ventilator support.
Hospital sources said the woman had informed her family that she was bitten by a black snake before losing consciousness. Doctors administered 10 vials of anti-venom as part of the treatment.
The incidents come amid a noticeable rise in snake sightings and bites across Kerala during peak summer. Experts attribute it to intense heat and humidity, which drive snakes out of their natural habitats in search of cooler environments, often bringing them into closer proximity with human settlements.
On ventilator support
An elderly woman who was bitten inside her home in Kannur is currently admitted to the intensive care unit of Kannur Government Medical College Hospital, Pariyaram, and is on ventilator support