Perceptions and awareness of snakebite envenoming in hilly areas of Madikeri: A cross sectional study

Background: Snake bite is one of the neglected public health problems in many tropical and subtropical countries. Wrong perception and practice of unproven traditional methods about snakes and snakebites may increase mortality due to snakebite envenoming. Objective: The objective is to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice regarding snakes and snakebites among the rural population in the Kodagu district. Materials and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted between August-2021 and October-2021 in the rural field-practice area of Bhagamandala Primary Health Centre. Systematic random sampling was incorporated into the study to select the study participants. Data were collected using a predesigned and pretested questionnaire. Data entry was done in Microsoft Excel and was analyzed using STATA (16.1), StataCorp, College Station, Texas, USA. Results: Out of 1284 participants, the majority 964 (75.07%) of participants identified spectacled cobra correctly and 1142 (88.94%) correctly identified it as venomous. About 1228 (95.64%) participants had correct knowledge regarding Anti-Snake venom being an effective treatment for snake bites and the overall knowledge regarding snake bites was adequate among only 380 (29.60%) of the study population. Whereas, 188 (14.64%) of them even considered visiting a local quack or faith healer after a Snakebite. Conclusions: In our study, the overall knowledge regarding snake bites was adequate among 29.60% of the study population. The knowledge regarding the venemosity of snakes was good, but identification was poor. The participants had correct knowledge about ASV and its availability. The harmful practices such as visiting traditional healers and applying native medicine are still seen in 14.64% of participants.