Three people have died of snakebites in Dinajpur amid the recent panic over Russell's viper. The health department has confirmed, however, that none of them died from a Russell's viper bite.

The dead are Bhaduri Bewa, 60, wife of the late Jiten Chandra Roy of Shibtali village in Chhatail union, Bochaganj upazila; Jamirun Begum, 60, wife of Mozammel Sarkar of Moijanda village, Phulbari upazila; and Asha Moni, 20, wife of Sabbir Hossain of Ghanapara Kanaibari village in No 12 Ramchandrapur union, Biral upazila. Bhaduri Bewa and Asha Moni died on the night of Tuesday (24 June) and Jamirun Begum on Thursday (26 June).

Dinajpur civil surgeon Dr AHM Borhan-ul-Islam Siddiqui said none of the three showed the signs seen in deaths from Russell's viper bites. Judging by the signs, it is thought they died from krait (kalach) or cobra (keute) bites.

He said the district has 776 vials of antivenom in stock: 20 at Ghoraghat Upazila Health Complex, 10 at Chirirbandar, 18 at Parbatipur, 18 at Phulbari, 16 at Birampur, 14 at Nawabganj, 20 at Bochaganj, 10 at Hakimpur, 22 at Kaharol, 20 at Khansama, 16 at Birganj, 22 in Biral upazila and 50 at Dinajpur 250-bed General Hospital. Dinajpur M Abdur Rahim Medical College Hospital also has 500 vials. The BGB hospital's stock is not included in this count.

A demand for another 500 vials of antivenom has been sent to the ministry, and the antivenom stocked in the district is valid until August 2025, the civil surgeon said.

Dr Touhidul Anwar, former health and family planning officer of Ghoraghat upazila, said there is no excuse for not giving antivenom to a patient when it is in stock. Administering it, however, takes time: preparing one dose from 10 vials and giving it to the patient slowly takes one to one and a half hours. Depending on the patient's condition, up to 40 vials can be given in this way.

He added that giving antivenom is quite normal and simple, and side effects are seen in one patient in every five lakh.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.