Researchers document first human deaths by Caspian cobra in India
Researchers have confirmed the first human deaths in India caused by the Caspian cobra, a venomous snake species expanding its range into the Himachal Pradesh region. The study highlights the need for better awareness and medical preparedness in the area.
Why it matters
The expansion of a highly venomous species into new human-populated areas poses a significant public health risk.
Researchers have documented the first confirmed snakebite envenomation and subsequent human deaths in India caused by the venomous Caspian cobra ( Naja oxiana ), which have never previously been reported in the country, according to a case report published in Epidemiology International, a peer-reviewed journal.
The study titled ‘First Report of Deadly Bites by Caspian Cobra (Naja oxiana) From India’ by Bharti O.K., Menon J.C., Phull A., Joy S., Sharma V. and Malhotra A. details two fatalities and two survivals from bites by the species, also called the Central Asian cobra, in Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba’s Pir Panjal mountain range.
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