Sri Lanka, July 3 -- Seventy percent of patients treated for accident-related injuries in hospital outpatient departments are people who have been bitten by animals, the Directorate of Non-Communicable Diseases of the Ministry of Health said.

They said the figure highlights how everyday interactions between humans, animals, and the environment have become one of the leading causes of emergency medical care in Sri Lanka.

Hospital records reflect this reality on a daily basis. Farmers arrive after snake bites sustained in the fields. Children are rushed in after dog bites near their homes. Street vendors seek urgent treatment following attacks by unknown animals while returning home at night. Though the circumstances differ, the outcome ...