Kendrapada: Around 120 people, including 40 children and women, fell ill on Wednesday night after consuming ‘prasad’ allegedly cooked with a dead snake in a religious function at Nuagaon village within Pattamundai police station in Kendrapada district.Some devotees were consuming the ‘prasad’ comprising rice and dalma (vegetable curry) when they noticed a dead snake in the dalma and panicked. Food was cooked for around 400 people during a religious event in the village temple. “We served prasad to around 200 people and after taking food, many people started to feel uneasy after they came to know about the presence of a dead snake in the dalma,” said Nagendra Mallick (54) of Nuagaon village.Around 200 people, including many women and children, were rushed to the hospital on Wednesday night after they sighted a snake in the dalma. “We conducted a medical check-up of all and did not find any symptom of food poisoning-induced sickness. Many felt uneasy and started vomiting after coming to know that a dalma cooked with a snake. In a precautionary measure, a medical team was sent to Nuagaon village on Thursday morning and the team is examining the health of all the villagers who took food,” said Dr Nirakar Parida, medical officer of sub-divisional hospital, Pattamundai.Dr Manoranjan Rout, chief district medical officer (CDMO), Kendrapada, said, “Villagers panicked after sighting a dead snake in the dalma curry. I discussed this with the medical officer, Pattamundai, and he stated that condition of all the persons who consumed food in the religious festival was okay.”“Snakes are consumed in many countries. Eating a snake with proper processing and cooking doesn’t have any health risk. However, when a snake fell into any food item and cooked as such, people should not consume that. It can lead to food poisoning. Even one who consumes it unknowingly can show common symptoms of nausea and vomiting. Hopefully, all the affected will return to their home without any danger,” said Subhendu Mallik, general secretary, Snake Helpline.“We suspect that the snake fell into the food accidentally in the cooking vessel, which the cook noticed. But while serving food, some people noticed a dead snake in the vessel,” said Bibhuti Das (52), a local resident.Basanti Mallick (60) of Nuagaon said, “We noticed a dead snake in the dalma for which many locals stopped eating the food. But before sighting of the snake in the dalma, many devotees had already consumed food.”
