01830nas a2200265   4500000000100000008004100001653003100042653003900073653001000112653001000122653001400132653001400146100001300160700001300173700001000186700001300196700001300209700001500222245012000237856003300357300001100390490000700401520114200408022001401550       2013                            d10aCommunity health education10aNeglected tropical diseases (NTDs)10aNepal10arural10asnakebite10atransport1 aSharma S1 aBovier P1 aJha N1 aAlirol E1 aLoutan L1 aChappuis F00aEffectiveness of rapid transport of victims and community health education on snake bite fatalities in rural Nepal.  uhttps://tinyurl.com/y7n4fjdz  a145-500 v893 a<p>Snake bite is a major public problem in the rural tropics. In southern Nepal, most deaths caused by neurotoxic envenomation occur in the village or during transport to health centers. The effectiveness of victims' transport by motorcycle volunteers to a specialized treatment center, combined with community health education, was assessed in a non-randomized, single-arm, before-after study conducted in four villages (population = 62,127). The case-fatality rate of snake bite decreased from 10.5% in the pre-intervention period to 0.5% during the intervention (relative risk reduction = 0.949, 95% confidence interval = 0.695-0.999). The snake bite incidence decreased from 502 bites/100,000 population to 315 bites/100,000 population in the four villages (relative risk reduction = 0.373, 95% confidence interval = 0.245-0.48), but it remained constant in other villages. Simple educational messages and promotion of immediate and rapid transport of victims to a treatment center decreased the mortality rate and incidence of snake bite in southeastern Nepal. The impact of similar interventions should be assessed elsewhere.</p>
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