Two snake bite deaths were recorded in the city on Thursday, bringing to the fore the danger of snakes during the summer. Both deaths occurred even though the victims were rushed to Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital immediately.
According to police reports, 49-year-old Varatharaj Mariappan, a resident of Pioneer Mill Road in Peelamedu, was cleaning his house on Tuesday, when a brownish-black snake suddenly bit him. Despite being rushed to the hospital, he died of breathing difficulties on Thursday.Varatharaj is said to have been bitten by a Russell's Viper
In another incident, a 11-year-old girl, Pavithra Chinraj who lives with her parents in Mannarkadu in Kerala, was bitten by a snake in Perur at 1am on Thursday. Pavithra had come to Perur to stay with her aunt, Kalaimani, during the holidays. "The girl and her aunt were taking an afternoon nap when the snake bit the girl on her left elbow," he said. "Since, the bite was on the upper part of her body, the venom reached her brain really fast," he said. The girl was rushed to the hospital by around 2am, but was pronounced dead by CMCH authorities at around 8pm. She is believed to have been bitten by a Common Krait. "She first lost the ability to speak and then slowly her hands and legs stopped moving," said Pavithra's mother Saraswathi. She began bleeding from her ears and nose and then just stopped breathing, she added.
Police and hospital authorities said with the district experiencing a harsh summer, common Kraits which are nocturnal in nature, have a habit of hiding in rodent holes or behind debris. They usually get aggressive when discovered at night or when they find an obstacle while moving around at night. However, their bite is often painless and sometimes victims tend to ignore it. "However, the Common Krait's venom consists mostly of neurotoxins which induce muscle paralysis and finally breathing difficulties and finally death," said the resident medical officer of CMCH, Dr A Soundaravel.
According to police reports, 49-year-old Varatharaj Mariappan, a resident of Pioneer Mill Road in Peelamedu, was cleaning his house on Tuesday, when a brownish-black snake suddenly bit him. Despite being rushed to the hospital, he died of breathing difficulties on Thursday.Varatharaj is said to have been bitten by a Russell's Viper
In another incident, a 11-year-old girl, Pavithra Chinraj who lives with her parents in Mannarkadu in Kerala, was bitten by a snake in Perur at 1am on Thursday. Pavithra had come to Perur to stay with her aunt, Kalaimani, during the holidays. "The girl and her aunt were taking an afternoon nap when the snake bit the girl on her left elbow," he said. "Since, the bite was on the upper part of her body, the venom reached her brain really fast," he said. The girl was rushed to the hospital by around 2am, but was pronounced dead by CMCH authorities at around 8pm. She is believed to have been bitten by a Common Krait. "She first lost the ability to speak and then slowly her hands and legs stopped moving," said Pavithra's mother Saraswathi. She began bleeding from her ears and nose and then just stopped breathing, she added.
Police and hospital authorities said with the district experiencing a harsh summer, common Kraits which are nocturnal in nature, have a habit of hiding in rodent holes or behind debris. They usually get aggressive when discovered at night or when they find an obstacle while moving around at night. However, their bite is often painless and sometimes victims tend to ignore it. "However, the Common Krait's venom consists mostly of neurotoxins which induce muscle paralysis and finally breathing difficulties and finally death," said the resident medical officer of CMCH, Dr A Soundaravel.