Burden of Mortality and Morbidity Caused by Snakebites Contributes to Economic Loss in a Rural Population in India

Snakebite envenoming is a major public health concern in India that causes economic hardship for the rural populations. We estimated the per capita economic burden of snakebites in a rural population by quantifying mortality and morbidity rates. We interviewed for outcomes of snake envenomation of 541 participants from 205 villages in Jagtial, Telangana, from 2010 to 2020 using a community-based snowball sampling approach. Snakebites caused 24.21% morbidity and 12.75% mortality. The age-adjusted mortality rate and age-adjusted morbidity rate were 11.72 and 22.8 per 100,000 people, respectively. The overall annual burden of snakebites was 31.96 Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) per 100,000 people. The mean annual earning opportunity cost and the mean annual mortality cost were USD 321.27 and USD 24,016.54 per person, respectively. We highlight the need for targeted public health interventions such as monetary compensation and community support schemes to reduce the morbidity and mortality rates in rural areas.