{
  "id": 1729161,
  "title": "Maharashtra Declares Snakebite Notifiable Disease After 1.29 Lakh Cases, 656 Deaths In 3 Years",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/maharashtra-declares-snakebite-notifiable-disease-after-1-29-lakh",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-18T14:09:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/maharashtra-declares-snakebite-notifiable-disease-after-129-lakh-cases-656-deaths-in-3-years"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mumbai, August 18, 2026 - Maharashtra has designated snakebite as a notifiable disease in a bid to reduce fatalities and disabilities stemming from snake envenomation. This decision compels government and private hospitals, medical colleges, and doctors to report all suspected, probable, or confirmed snakebite cases, along with snakebite-related deaths, to health authorities. In the three years from April 2023 to March 2026, the state recorded 1.29 lakh snakebite cases and 656 deaths, with 48,711 cases and 146 deaths reported in 2023-24 and 38,491 cases and 282 deaths in 2024-25. The statistics highlight the severity of the issue and the necessity for continuous surveillance and timely treatment.",
  "summary": "Mumbai, August 18, 2026: The Maharashtra government has declared snakebite a notifiable disease to curb deaths and disabilities caused by snake envenomation. The move makes it mandatory for government and private hospitals, medical colleges and doctors to report every suspected, probable or confirmed snakebite case, along with deaths caused by snakebite, to health authorities. Maharashtra…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}