Patients have been arriving at hospital from a village in Jashore, sick from "snakebites". They say a "jin snake" bit them. At least 30 people have been affected by bites from this unknown snake in the past week; 10 are being treated at Jashore General Hospital, and the rest have been treated by local ojhas and kabirajes (folk healers).

Doctors, however, say they fell ill from mental panic. The incidents took place in Raniali village of Chaugachha upazila in Jashore.

On Monday (8 July) afternoon, Govinda Chandra Dhali, UP member of local Pashapole union, said: "Last Wednesday night Rabeya Begum, wife of Abdur Hoque of Raniali village, was bitten by a snake. She died the next day while being treated at Jashore General Hospital. Since then there has been snake panic in the area. Many people are falling ill claiming snakes have bitten them, but nobody has seen a snake. As soon as anyone feels burning on the body or faints, they go to ojhas and kabirajes. When the ojhas confirm poison in the body, some are admitted to hospital and others are treated by local village doctors and kabirajes. So far 30 people in the village have been affected. Around 10 are being treated at Jashore Sadar Hospital."

According to Jashore General Hospital, 10 patients from Raniali village of Pashapole union in Chaugachha alone were admitted on Sunday and Monday after being bitten by something: eight women and two men.

Hospital authorities say some had red marks on their hands and feet, while others were admitted without any marks. All 10 have been admitted and kept under observation. No real symptoms of snakebite were seen, so they were not given antivenom injections.

Pranta Mondal (33), wife of Mithun Mondal of Raniali Paschimpara, admitted to Jashore General Hospital, said: "Yesterday morning I was stacking dry wood in the kitchen when something bit my hand and it started burning. A red mark appeared on my right wrist. On my family's advice I went to a local ojha, who said there was poison in my body. Then I was admitted to hospital at night."

Tomalika (22), wife of Utpal Mondal of the Raniali High School Para area, said: "I was asleep at night. In the morning my hand was burning, and at one point it went numb. There is a bite mark of something there. When the ojha said there was poison, I was admitted to hospital. I am much better now."

Local resident Santosh Kumar Mondal said: "Since someone died a few days ago we have been living in fear of snakes, but nobody has seen one. When we go to kabirajes and ojhas, they say a jin snake has bitten. A jin snake bit my granddaughter on the foot. We took her to the Bankra ojha in Jhikargachha, who performed jharphuk (incantation). We paid the ojha Tk 4,000 for it. She got somewhat better, but on the advice of locals I brought her to hospital."

He claimed that nearly fifty people in Raniali, including one of his family, had been bitten by the jin snake in the past week.

Shiuli Sarkar, senior nurse in the female medicine department of Jashore General Hospital, said: "Eight patients are currently admitted to the female medicine ward. They say snakes bit them, but no real signs of snakebite have been seen. They have been kept under observation for 24 hours and are all well."

Several villagers said that although snakebites are being talked about, nobody has yet seen the snake. The kabirajes and ojhas say it is a jin snake, and ordinary villagers believe them, so people cannot sleep at night. Many are being treated by local ojhas and kabirajes, while many others are recovering after hospital treatment. Local ojhas, snake charmers and kabirajes have taken advantage of the panic, spreading fear that people are being bitten by jin snakes and taking money from the public.

Dr Abu Haider Mohammad Moniruzzaman of the medicine department at Jashore hospital said: "No patient was bitten by a snake. All fell ill out of panic. In medical terms this is called 'mass hysteria illness'. It is mainly caused by people's neurohormones and mental conflict."

Jashore General Hospital superintendent Dr Harun Or Rashid said many people were being admitted out of panic, and all the admitted patients were well.

People should be aware rather than panic, he said, and keep bushes around their homes clear. Anyone bitten by a snake should come straight to hospital, and if they can take a photo of the snake, treatment becomes much easier. There is no shortage of antivenom at the hospital.

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