Aquatic insect envenomation plagues Demow, IISc researchers bring hope

Guwahati: Since 2018, over 100 cases of envenomation linked to unidentified aquatic organisms in shallow ponds have been reported at the Demow Rural Community Health Centre in upper Assam’s Sivasagar district, including the death of a 65-year-old patient last Oct.


However, doctors remained uncertain about the cause of the bites until March this year, when Kartik Sunagar, associate professor at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), and his team published a research paper identifying venom from giant water bugs and water scorpions based on findings from neighbouring Nagaland.


Surajit Giri, an anaesthesiologist at the Demow health centre and a snakebite social activist, said after a discussion with Sunagar following the publication of his research paper, a medicine was administered on an experimental basis to a patient, Sahidul Islam (42), who reported a bite on March 13. Islam responded positively to the treatment and was discharged on March 20.


“We could not crack the cause till the publication of the research paper ‘Aquatic assassins: Proteo-transcriptomic and functional profiling of giant’ by Sunagar and six other researchers,” he added.


Sahidul, a resident of Demow in Sivasagar district, was bitten by the unidentified aquatic organism when he went into a pond to fish. The water was about knee-deep. He suddenly felt a bite near the small joint of his left leg and immediately experienced severe pain in his leg.


“When he reported at the Demow Rural Health Center, our health workers treated Sahidul with various medicines. Besides Sahidul, our health workers had treated over 100 patients bitten by something underwater. Some had severe wounds, and the bitten area had decayed, among other issues. Unfortunately, 65-year-old Horen Phukan of 1 No Hologuri village in Charaideo district passed away in October after having a similar bite,” he added.


Giri said the patients before Sahidul were treated with various medicines because the doctors had no knowledge about the poison of these creatures and there was no study.


“By the time Sahidul’s case was reported at the health centre, we had gained some knowledge on this matter. Research on the venom of various insects and creatures commonly found in Assam is lacking. Due to deforestation or other reasons, conflicts between humans and these creatures are increasing day by day,” he added.


The doctor said Sahidul was in extreme pain when he was admitted to the health center and he was vomiting. “Sahidul’s family feared it was a snake bite. But it couldn’t be a snake as snakes can only stay underwater for a few minutes and need to come up for air, and Sahidul had not seen a snake. We have advanced significantly in snake bite treatment but we lack knowledge about the venom of this creature,” he added.


As a last hope, doctors at the health centre with the consent of the family members administered a specific medicine on an experimental basis. “Various studies have mentioned its benefits. This medicine has no severe side effects. Fortunately, as time passed, Sahidul became stable and he was discharged from the hospital,” he added.


One Rituparna Gogoi (28) of Sivasagar is currently undergoing treatment for a similar bite from a underwater species at the health centre. Gogoi sustained the bite when he stepped into a pond in Myanmar. He then returned home and is currently undergoing treatment at the health centre.Get real-time updates and result insights on the CBSE 12 Result 2026.