Fear has spread again in Matlab Uttar upazila of Chandpur over the highly venomous Russell's viper (chandrabora). This time a young man was bitten while rescuing a snake on the bank of the Meghna river, and even after the bite he caught it, put it in a polythene bag and brought it home.

The incident happened on the morning of 28 April, given in the report as a Monday, on the Meghna bank at the Eklaspur housing (abashan) area of Eklaspur union. The injured man, Md Sohel (31), is the son of Selim Prodhan of the same area.

Sohel said that on his way to his new house in the morning he saw a large Russell's viper caught in a net on the river bank, struggling. As he tried to free it from the net, the snake suddenly bit his hand.

Despite the bite, he caught the snake, put it in a polythene bag and brought it home. He then kept it in a plastic jar and hurried to Chandpur Sadar Hospital, where he received antivenom. He returned home after treatment and is reported to be well.

Local residents said venomous snakes have become alarmingly common over the past few years on the Meghna bank and chars, especially at Borchar, Char Umed and Eklaspur. Several Russell's vipers were killed on the river bank at Eklaspur last year as well. Patients often suffer badly because the upazila health complex has no snakebite vaccine, and residents have demanded a quick supply of enough antivenom.

Md Mafizul Islam Munna Dhali, chairman of Eklaspur union parishad, said: "I have heard about the incident. The monsoon is coming, so farmers and fishermen must be even more careful. If anyone is bitten by a snake, no charms or incantations: go straight to the health complex."

Dr AKM Mahbubur Rahman, superintendent of Chandpur Government General Hospital, said: "Our hospital has enough antivenom. A snakebite patient needs 10 vials in the first stage, and another 10 if necessary. Each vial costs Tk 1,400. We have currently procured 200 vials."

Upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Mahmuda Kulsum Moni said: "The upazila parishad has given the upazila health complex the allocation needed to buy enough vaccine (antivenom) to treat snakebite patients. We hope this vaccine will not run out even in the next two years." She added that the forest department was being contacted about the captured Russell's viper and the necessary steps would be taken.

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