Kolkata, Oct 19 (IANS): With India said to have one of the highest number of snakebite deaths in the world, co-operation between herpetologists, physicians and anti-venom manufacturers is necessary for timely help, a British expert said Saturday.

He also highlighted that snakebites which are "not taken seriously" in the country, should be treated as a disease.

"There are good snake experts in India...efforts could be greatly helped if there's a concerted effort. The issue of snake bites in India is grossly underestimated. There is not enough co-ordination between the experts and doctors," said David Warrell, international director at the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) here.

He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of Medicon International 2013 organised by RCP in collaboration with Peerless Hospital and B.K.Roy Foundation in Kolkata.

According to World Health Organization (WHO), there are around 83,000 snakebites per annum in the country with 11,000 deaths.

Warrell, whose research interests have largely focused on malaria, rabies and snakebite, also pointed out that most city doctors are caught off-guard while addressing the huge number of snake bites in rural areas.

"They should be acquainted with the numbers and the scenario...when they go to villages they are caught unaware and are overwhelmed with the incidences," said Warrell.

Moreover, fostering dialogues between anti-venom manufacturers and clinicians is essential to address grievances.

The specialist expressed confidence in the advancements by Indian toxinologists-scientists who deal with natural toxins derived from microbial, animal and plants.