Snakebites: At Least 421,000 Poisonings And 20,000 Deaths Occur Each Year, Study Finds

November 4, 2008

Snakebites cause considerable death and injury worldwide and pose an important yet neglected threat to public health, says new research published in this week’s PLoS Medicine.

The study used the most comprehensive methods yet to estimate that at least 421,000 envenomings (poisonous bites) and 20,000 deaths from snakebites occur each year, especially in South and South East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

To estimate death and injury from snakebite, Janaka de Silva (University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka) and colleagues conducted a systematic review of the scientific literature, reviewed county-specific mortality data from databases maintained by United Nations organizations, and identified unpublished information from Ministries of Health, National Poison Centres, and snakebite experts on snakebites in countries that do not have reliable data on snakebite incidence and mortality.

A new study estimates that at least 421,000 envenomings and 20,000 deaths from snakebites occur each year. (Credit: iStockphoto)

More of the story,
click image

Posted in Health, Nature, Science and Technology