India records 1.3 million snake bites annually, emerging as global hotspot for deaths

A new study, as reported by WION, documents that an estimated 1.3 million people in India are bitten by snakes annually, making the country the world's leading nation for snake bite incidents and related mortality, according to the researchers. The study highlights snake bites as a significant public health crisis in India, with researchers noting the burden falls disproportionately on rural populations with limited access to medical care and antivenom. The World Health Organization classifies snake bite envenoming as a neglected tropical disease, and the findings underscore gaps in rural healthcare infrastructure and emergency response systems across South Asia, according to the report.