Knowledge, attitude and practice regarding snakes and snake bite among rural adult of Belagavi, Karnataka
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20175324Keywords:
Snakes, Snake bite, Rural area, AdultsAbstract
Background: India is home to over 270 species of snakes, including 60 venomous. Belagavi, set in foothills of Western Ghats, is home to four major venomous snakes viz. Russell’ s viper, spectacled cobra, common krait and saw scaled viper. Surveys suggest that around half of the snake bite related deaths take place in India and are largely avoidable and treatable. The objective of the study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice regarding Snakes and Snake bite among adult in a rural area of Belagavi, Karnataka.
Methods: This community based cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 adults who were permanent residents of Kinaye village located in the field practice area of JN Medical College, Belagavi. A predesigned and pretested questionnaire was used to assess their knowledge, attitude and practice after taking written informed consent.
Results: Most of the study participants when shown different photographs could differentiate between venomous and non-venomous snakes and their bite marks. 100% of the study participants knew that medical treatment was available for snakebite and would rush to a health facility in an event of snakebite. Most common venomous Snake to be identified was Spectacled Cobra (72%) while Common Krait was the least identified (24%). About 75% of study subjects correctly differentiated between the pictures of venomous and non-venomous Snake bite marks. Nearly 90.5% believed that Snakes bite for self-defence.
Conclusions: In the present study majority of the participants had basic knowledge about Snake identification and snakebite. Most correctly identified venomous and non-venomous Snakes was Spectacled Cobra and Green Vine Snake respectively, while most incorrectly identified venomous Snake was common Krait. All the participants knew that there is medical treatment available for snakebite and most of them were in favour of not killing Snakes.
References
Whitaker R, Captain A. Snakes of India: The Field Guide. Chennai: Draco Books; 2004.
Mohapatra B, Warrell DA, Suraweera W, Bhatia P, Dhingra N, Jotkar RM, et al. Snakebite Mortality in India: A Nationally Representative Mortality Survey. Gyapong JO, ed. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2011;5(4):e1018.
Duminda SB, Dissanayake, Wellappuliarchchi SM. Knowledge and Attitude on highly Venomous snakes by questionnaire survey among the Students of Rajarata University, Mihintale, Sri Lanka. Int Res J Biological Sci. 2014;3(12):67-72.
Pandey DP, Subedi Pandey G, Devkota K, Goode M. Public perceptions of snakes and snakebite management: implications for conservation and human health in southern Nepal. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2016;12:22.
Pandey DP. Epidemiology of snakebites based on field survey in Chitwan and Nawalparasi Districts, Nepal. J Med Toxicol. 2007;3(4):164–8.
Corbett SW, Anderson B, Nelson B, Bush S, Hayes WK, Cardwell MD. Most lay people can correctly identify indigenous venomous snakes. Am J Emerg Med. 2005;23(6):759–62.
Werner D, Thuman C, Maxwell J. Where there is no doctor: a village health care handbook. Rev. Berkeley: Hesperian Health Guides; 2011.
Chettri B, Bhupathy S. Reptile fauna of Sikkim with emphasis to the Teesta valley. J Hill Res. 2007;20(1):1–6.
Alves RRN, Silva VN, Trovao DMBM, Oliveira JV, Mourao JS, Dias TLP, et al. Students’ attitudes toward and knowledge about snakes in the semiarid region of northeastern Brazil. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2014;10:30.
Wojnowski D. Scientific and traditional conceptions of snakes in Kenya: herpetologists as teacher mentors. Herpetol Rev. 2009;40(2):158–62.
Whitaker PB, Shine R. Sources of mortality of large elapid snakes in an agricultural landscape. J Herpetol. 2000;34(1):121–8.
Wang W, Chen QF, Yin RX, Zhu JJ, Li QB, Chang HH, et al. Clinical features and treatment experience: A review of 292 Chinese cobra snakebites. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol. 2014;37:648–55.
Monteiro FNP, Kanchan T, Bhagavath P, Kumar GP. Epidemiology of Cobra bite in Manipal, Southern India. J Indian Acad Forensic Med. 2010;32(3):224-7.
Kshirsagar VY, Ahmed M, Colaco SM. Clinical Profile of Snake Bite in Children in Rural India. Iranian J Pediatrics. 2013;23(6):632-6.
Wang W, Chen QF, Yin RX, Zhu JJ, Li QB, Chang HH, Wu YB, Michelson E. Clinical features and treatment experience: A review of 292 Chinese cobra snakebites. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol. 2014;37:648–55.
Kularatne AM, Silva A, Maduwage K, Ratnayake I, Walathara C, Ratnayake C, et al. Victims’ response to snakebite and socio-epidemiological factors of 1018 snakebites in a tertiary care hospital in Sri Lanka. Wilderness Environ. Med. 2014;25:35–40.
Trevett AJ, Nwokolo N, Watters DA., Lagani W, Vince JD. Tourniquet injury in a papuan snakebite victim. Trop. Geogr. Med. 1993;45:305–7.
Ait Essi F, Benhima MA, Abkari I, Najeb Y, Latifi M, Khallouki M, et al. Fingers amputation following snakebite: A report of three cases. Chir. Main. 2013;32:92–5.
Harris JB, Faiz MA, Rahman MR, Jalil MM, Ahsan MF, Theakston RD, et al. Snake bite in Chittagong Division, Bangladesh: A study of bitten patients who developed no signs of systemic envenoming. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2010;104:320–7.
Rahman R, Faiz MA, Selim S, Rahman B, Basher A, Jones A, et al. Annual incidence of snakebite in rural Bangladesh. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2010;4(10):e860.
Chandio AM, Sandelo P, Rahu AA, Ahmed ST, Dahri AH, Bhatti R. Snakebite: treatment seeking behaviour among Sindh rural population. J Ayub Med Coll. 2000;12(3):3–5.
Inamdar IF, Aswar NR, Ubaidulla M, Dalvi SD. Snakebite: admissions at a tertiary health care center in Maharashtra, India. S Afr Med J. 2010;100(7):456–8.
