Gujarat Records 17,509 Snakebite Cases In Three Years; Deaths Jump Fourfold In 2025
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Gujarat recorded 17,509 snakebite cases and 24 deaths between 2023 and 2025, with fatalities rising sharply in 2025, according to official data presented by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The state reported 3,435 snakebite cases and four deaths in 2023. The number of cases rose to 6,044 in 2024, while deaths remained at four. In 2025, reported cases climbed further to 8,030, accompanied by 16 deaths — four times the number recorded in each of the previous two years.
Gujarat’s Snakebite Cases Rise Each Year
The year-wise figures show a sustained increase in reported snakebite cases across Gujarat over the three-year period.
- 2023: 3,435 cases, four deaths
- 2024: 6,044 cases, four deaths
- 2025: 8,030 cases, 16 deaths
The 2025 figures account for nearly half of Gujarat’s total reported cases over the three years, while two-thirds of the 24 recorded deaths occurred in that year.
West Bengal, Tamil Nadu Lead In Snakebite Cases
Nationally, West Bengal recorded the highest number of snakebite cases over the three-year period, with 61,628 cases. Tamil Nadu followed with 51,774, Odisha with 41,822, Karnataka with 36,636 and Maharashtra with 26,844.
The states reporting the highest numbers of snakebite deaths during the same period were:
- Karnataka: 280 deaths
- West Bengal: 155 deaths
- Tamil Nadu: 96 deaths
- Odisha: 83 deaths
- Jharkhand: 63 deaths
Centre’s Programme To Prevent Snakebite Deaths
The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is implementing the Programme for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming under the National Health Mission (NHM) to address the public health challenge.
Polyvalent anti-snake venom (ASV) is included in essential drug lists, with states procuring supplies through the National Free Drug Initiative. Support for strengthening health systems is also intended to ensure the availability of emergency medicines, equipment and transport facilities.
Snakebite Declared Notifiable Disease In 12 States
To improve surveillance and data collection, 12 states have made snakebite a legally notifiable disease. All states and Union Territories have also been onboarded onto the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme’s Integrated Health Information Platform (IDSP-IHIP).
The Centre launched the National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (NAPSE) on March 12, 2024, in consultation with multiple ministries. The plan aims to halve snakebite deaths by 2030.
