A substantial portion of rural communities in Tiruvarur district at risk of negative interactions with snakes is taking measures to prevent snakebites, but the methods are largely not evidence-based or practical, finds a recent study by researchers at the Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, and Madras Crocodile Bank Trust (MCBT).
While India and rural Tamil Nadu continue to have a huge burden of snakebite deaths every year, prevention measures have not been spotlighted as much as mitigation. The study, published in the Conservation Science and Practice, assessed 535 respondents in Tiruvarur district, which has a high community reliance on agriculture as a livelihood and the presence of ‘medically significant’ (a venomous or poisonous species whose venom or toxin can cause death or serious illness or injury in humans that may require emergency room care or the immediate care of a physician) snakes, and found that 69% of them already take preventive measures. However, a considerable number of these people used measures that are not based on evidence.
As per the study, a range of “recognised prevention measures” recommended by scholars, non-governmental organisations, and governments include the use of protective boots or gloves for fieldwork, mosquito nets and raised platforms for sleeping at home, and torches to limit surprise encounters with snakes, particularly at night. Other recommendations include maintaining wide field paths, removing of waste around residences, controlling rodents in and around households, and filling holes in house walls where snakes can easily enter.
