Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], February 22 : The Gujarat government is set to get its own region-specific antivenom soon to reduce snakebite-related human deaths in the state.
The Gujarat government has set up the Snake Research Institute (SRI) in Dharampur town of Valsad district and is playing a key role in developing antivenom to treat snakebite patients effectively.
According to an official release from Gujarat CMO, the institute recently conducted an e-auction of lyophilised (powdered) snake venom for four major venomous snake species found in Gujarat: Indian Cobra, Common Krait, Russell's Viper and Saw-scaled Viper. These four species are responsible for most snakebite deaths in Gujarat.
Officials said the institute received higher-than-expected prices for the venom due to its high quality.
"We had set a base price of Rs 40,000 per gram for Indian Cobra venom but received Rs 44,000 per gram. For Saw-scaled Viper venom, the base price was Rs 50,000 per gram and we received Rs 56,500 per gram. Similar strong prices were received for the other species as well," an official said.
After the auction, Venom will be supplied to a licensed Antivenom Manufacturer.
The institute houses around 460 venomous snakes found in different parts of Gujarat. It follows World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines for snake handling and venom extraction. The venom is processed using modern technology and converted into powdered form, which is required for manufacturing antivenom, a release said.
SRI works under the aegis of Gujarat Forestry Research Foundation (GFRF), Gandhinagar. GFRF is an autonomous organisation under the Forest and Environment Department, Government of Gujarat.
SRI is emerging as a crucial centre for research, training and public awareness to reduce snakebite-related deaths in the state. The institute has established a well-maintained serpentarium, the release added.
"One of the key challenges in treating snakebites is that snake venom varies from one region to another. Anti-snake venom prepared using venom from distant regions often proves less effective. To address this problem, the Gujarat government has set up this institute and it focuses on collecting venom from venomous snake species found in different parts of Gujarat and preparing region-specific antivenom,'' said Dr DC Patel, Vice-Chairman, SRI, Dharampur.