Abstract:
South Asia is identified as one of the most vulnerable regions for snake bites in the
world. All countries in this region report a significant number of snake bites annually.
Sri Lanka is also heavily affected by snake bites. Data from Sri Lanka’s Ministry of
Health indicates that poisoning is a main cause of death from snake bites for the
period 2006-2015. The main objective of this study is to identify the temporal and
demographic differences of individuals with snake bites in the Kurunegala,
Anuradhapura and Galle districts. These three districts report high snake bite records
in Sri Lanka. Recorded data on snake bites collected from government hospitals in
Kurunegala, Anuradhapura, and Galle Districts were selected for the study. MS Excel
2013 and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences were used for data analysis.
Percentages and graphs were used to present the information. A total of 1,29,330
patients have been discharged from hospitals after treatment and a total of 287 deaths
have been recorded from all three districts during the selected period. The highest
number of discharged individuals (55,972) has been reported from hospitals in the
Kurunegala District during the study period. It represents 43% of the total recorded
live discharges. The highest number of deaths (139) has also been recorded in the
Kurunegala District. It represents 48% of the total reported deaths. The Anuradhapura
District shows the second highest live discharges and deaths. The Galle District
presents the lowest numbers of live discharges and deaths. The results revealed that
the vulnerable age group for snake bites is 17 – 49 years in all three districts. This age
group included the highest number of live discharged individuals during the period.
The recorded live discharges from the hospitals in the Kurunegala District
demonstrate a significant decline during the selected period.
