Epidemiology

Estimates from 2001 to 2004 suggest that around 9872 snakebites were treated annually in emergency departments in the US, of which 3188 were from venomous species and 6684 were from nonvenomous or unidentified species.[4] From 2012 through 2016, the American Association of Poison Control Centers reported an average of 4 deaths annually due to snake envenomation.[5][6][7][8][9]

Snakebites occur more commonly in men (72%) than in women (28%).[4] Adults are more commonly bitten than children.[4][10] Snakebites occur most frequently near the home, although bites during outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, fishing, and golfing are also common. As might be expected, snakebites are more frequent in warmer months when snakes are more active and humans engage in more outdoor activities.[4][11] Snakebites also occur commonly among amateur snake collectors, herpetologists, and snake handlers in zoos.

On the global scale, snakebite envenomation is frequently an occupational disease that affects agricultural workers, predominantly young men.[12] Global estimates suggest between 81,000 and 138,000 deaths from snakebites occur annually, and in 2017 the World Health Organization designated snakebite as a neglected tropical disease.[13]​​

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