Kathmandu, August 31

Snakebite poses high risk of termination of pregnancy in the first trimester.

As per the record of Surkraraj Tropical Infectious Disease Hospital, four women who were bitten by snakes suffered a foetus loss in the first trimester. Chief consultant tropical medicine at STIDH Dr Anup Bastola informed that four women who were in the first trimester of pregnancy suffered foetus loss.

Generally, green pit viper and mountain pit viper snakes are hematotoxic, while cobra, sa-scale viper and russels viper are neurotoxic which leads to neuro-muscular blockage and cause nerves paralysis.

Hematotoxic snakes are usually found in hilly and mountain region, while neurotoxic snakes are found in the Tarai region. Hematotoxic snakes are not fatal but can pose serious threat to foetus during early pregnancy.

According the data recorded in the last five months at STIDH, of the total snake bite patients brought to STIDH, 182 patients were found to be bitten by snakes with hematotoxic venom and four patients from Thankot, Gorkha, Nuwakot and Rupandehi were found to be bitten by snakes with neurotoxic venom. Of them, 126 were females and 60 were males.