By Stephen Simon
Experts have raised the alarm over the growing threat of snakebites in Nigeria, warning that the country records an estimated 43,000 cases annually, resulting in between 1,099 and 2,500 deaths.
They urged Nigerians to avoid handling snakes and seek immediate medical attention whenever bitten, warning that dangerous traditional practices and delayed hospital treatment could increase the risk of death.
The experts gave the warning at a national training workshop on snakebite handling, treatment and management held at the Lekki Conservation Centre, Lagos.
A medical expert, Abubakar Ballah, described snakebite as a neglected tropical disease, identifying the carpet viper as responsible for approximately 66 per cent of snakebite deaths in Nigeria.
Citing World Health Organisation estimates, Ballah said snakebites account for about 5.4 million cases globally each year, leading to between 81,000 and 138,000 deaths and approximately 400,000 cases of permanent disability.
He identified Gombe, Plateau, Bauchi, Benue and Taraba as major snakebite-endemic states, particularly within the Niger-Benue trough and Sudan Savanna.
According to him, farmers, herders, hunters and children are particularly vulnerable, with cases often increasing during farming, rainy and harvest seasons.
Ballah identified the carpet viper, puff adder and black-necked spitting cobra as Nigeria’s three medically important snake species, explaining that their venom could cause severe bleeding, tissue destruction, kidney damage, neurological complications and respiratory paralysis.
He warned against dangerous first-aid practices, including applying tourniquets, cutting bite wounds, sucking out venom and using traditional remedies.
The expert identified the high cost of antivenom, poor healthcare access, bad roads and inadequate blood bank facilities as major factors contributing to snakebite deaths. He said antivenom costs between N170,000 and N250,000 per vial.
Another expert, wildlife conservationist Dr. Mark Ofua, warned residents against attempting to catch, kill or handle snakes, noting that encounters could occur in gardens, farms, drains, building sites, swamps and residential compounds.
He advised victims to remain calm, immobilise the affected limb and seek immediate medical attention.
Earlier, the Director-General of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, Dr. Joseph Onoja, emphasised the ecological importance of snakes, particularly their role in controlling rodents and maintaining environmental balance.
He urged Nigerians to learn to coexist safely with wildlife rather than indiscriminately killing snakes.
