Gujarat Launches State-Specific Anti-Venom to Combat Local Snakebites

Officials added that this step is expected to improve the effectiveness of treatment and lower mortality rates.

The initiative is being led by the Snake Research Institute (SRI), established by the state government in Dharmapur of Valsad district.

The institute currently houses around 460 poisonous snakes collected from different regions of the state.

Venom is extracted following World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines, processed using modern technology, and converted into powder.

This powdered venom is then auctioned to licensed anti-venom manufacturers, whose products will be purchased by the state government and supplied to hospitals across Gujarat for snakebite treatment.

An official said, "The quality of the venom extracted from the snakes kept here was so high that it fetched prices above the base rate. For Indian Cobra venom, the base price was Rs 40,000 per gram, but Rs 44,000 was received. For Saw-Scaled Viper venom, the base price of Rs 50,000 per gram fetched Rs 56,500. Other species also received a strong response and higher prices."

D.C. Patel, Vice-Chairman of the Snake Research Centre and a general surgeon, highlighted the importance of regional venom for effective treatment.

"The main challenge in treating snakebites is that venom varies by region. Anti-venom made from distant regions often proves less effective. To address this, Gujarat has established the SRI, which focuses on preparing anti-venom from species found locally. We hope that anti-venom produced from venom of snakes caught in Gujarat will be more effective in treating snakebite victims," he said.

Patel, who runs a hospital in Dharmapur, has treated snakebite patients with a success rate of more than 98 per cent and has documented every case over the past 35 years.

He added, "The venom obtained from snakes here is of high quality because the institute follows WHO guidelines. With anti-venom made from this venom, we expect a reduction in snakebite-related deaths in the state."

The SRI recently conducted an e-auction of lyophilised venom from four major poisonous snake species found in Gujarat -- Indian Cobra, Common Krait, Russell's Viper and Saw-Scaled Viper.

Licensed anti-venom manufacturers participated, and the high quality of the venom resulted in prices exceeding expectations.

The institute operates under the Gujarat Forestry Research Foundation (GFRF), an autonomous body under the state's Forest and Environment Department.

Plans are underway to develop the SRI into a world-class centre, with 2.25 hectares allocated by the Valsad Collector Bhavya Verma for a permanent campus and infrastructure.

A proposal of Rs 11.68 crore has been submitted to the Gujarat government for this development.

India is the first country in the world to implement a national action plan for snakebite envenoming.

Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, the Central government launched the 'National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (NAP-SE)' in March 2024, aiming to reduce snakebite-related deaths and disabilities by 50 per cent by 2030.

Gujarat's SRI forms a key part of this effort.

The institute has also trained more than 300 local snake rescuers and over 1,495 doctors and medical officers across 23 districts in snakebite management.

Awareness programmes are conducted with teachers and local panchayats to promote safe practices and dispel superstitions.

The institute has published a photographic field guide titled, "Snakes of Valsad", and produced a related documentary film.

At present, the extraction of venom for anti-venom production in India is done by Tamil Nadu's Irula Snake Catchers Industrial Cooperative Society Limited.

The Dharmapur-based Snake Research Centre has now become the second institution in the country performing this work.

- IANS