Maharashtra Declares Snakebite a Notifiable Disease to Curb Fatalities
MUMBAI — The Maharashtra government has declared snakebite a notifiable disease in an effort to curb deaths and disabilities caused by snake envenomation across the state.
The directive makes it mandatory for all government and private hospitals, medical colleges, and practicing doctors to report every suspected, probable, or confirmed snakebite case, as well as snakebite-related deaths, directly to health authorities.
According to state health department data, Maharashtra recorded 1.29 lakh snakebite cases and 656 deaths between April 2023 and March 2026. The state logged 48,711 cases and 146 deaths during 2023-24, followed by 38,491 cases and 282 deaths in 2024-25. Officials noted that these figures highlight the critical need for systematic surveillance and timely medical intervention.
Under the new notification, serious and fatal cases must be reported immediately to the District Health Officer or District Civil Surgeon. All cases will also be logged through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), HMIS/DHIS-2, or other government-prescribed reporting systems.
To oversee the implementation, the state has appointed the Director (Hospitals) as the state-level nodal officer. District Civil Surgeons and District Health Officers will lead the programme at the district level, while Medical Health Officers or Additional Medical Health Officers will serve as nodal officers within municipal corporation jurisdictions.
Healthcare facilities treating snakebite victims are also required to track and maintain records of anti-snake venom (ASV) availability, receipt, usage, and balance stock. This monitoring is intended to help authorities maintain sufficient ASV supplies in areas with higher case volumes.
Hospitals must record comprehensive case details, including the date and location of the bite, patient demographics, incident circumstances, symptoms, treatment administered, the number of ASV vials used, referrals, and final clinical outcomes.
Public Health and Family Welfare Minister Prakash Abitkar stated that systematic reporting will help the government identify high-risk areas, track seasonal trends, and improve preventive strategies. He emphasised that timely diagnosis, first aid, hospitalisation, and access to ASV are critical to saving lives. The government directed that all case management follow guidelines issued by the Centre, the state, or other competent authorities.
