Guwahati: A tea-garden worker in Assam’s Sivasagar district was critically ill with severe neurotoxic envenomation after being bitten by a completely white-coloured snake. She later made a full recovery following timely treatment.Dr Surajit Giri, a member of the National Technical Advisory Committee under the ministry of health and family welfare, said it was the first case they had encountered in which a completely white-coloured snake was linked to severe neurotoxic envenomation.“The girl was bitten on her left foot at around 11.30 am while working in a tea garden after accidentally stepping on the snake. She reached Demow CHC within 50 minutes. Initially, there were no significant local symptoms or obvious fang marks, and the unusual description of the snake made identification difficult,” Giri said.He said around 1.40 pm, an auxiliary health worker noticed bilateral ptosis and diplopia, early signs of neurotoxic envenomation. She was given anti-snake venom and supportive treatment, but her condition rapidly worsened, leading to descending paralysis and respiratory failure.“Doctors urgently intubated her at around 3.30 pm and maintained manual ventilation during her transfer to a collaborating intensive-care facility. She was subsequently placed on mechanical ventilation,” he said.The patient was extubated about 30 hours after the bite. Her swallowing difficulty resolved by the fourth day, while ptosis and pupillary abnormalities completely resolved by the eighth day.“She was discharged without residual neurological deficits,” Giri said.Doctors said the case underscored the importance of not relying solely on a snake’s colour for identification and of recognising early symptoms such as ptosis and diplopia.
