New! Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Science News
from research organizations

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

Date:
November 4, 2008
Source:
Public Library of Science
Summary:
Snakebites cause considerable death and injury worldwide and pose an important yet neglected threat to public health, says new research in PLoS Medicine.
Share:
FULL STORY

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 (venomous 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reviewed county-specific mortality data from databases maintained by United Nations organizations, and identified unpublished information from Ministries of Health, National Poison Centres, and snakebite experts on snakebites in countries that do not have reliable data on snakebite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.

This data retrieval produced information for many of the world's 227 countries, which were grouped into 21 geographical regions. The researchers estimate that 421,000 envenomings and 20,000 deaths occur worldwide from snakebite each year, but warn that these figures may be as high as 1,841,000 envenomings and 94,000 deaths, especially in areas of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia where antivenoms are hard to obtain. India has the highest estimated annual envenomings and deaths: 81,000, and 11,000 respectively.

In a related Perspective article, Jean-Philippe Chippaux from the the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement in La Paz, Bolivia and uninvolved in the research, argues that this study is a "preliminary but essential step in improving accessibility of anitvenoms and the treatment of snakebite." Dr. Chippaux notes the dire situation of antivenom availability and cost in Africa—a situation that could be worsened by the current global economic crisis—where the price of a vial of antivenom is the equivalent of several months of income for most rural families.

Better information on the global burden of snakebite would help understand how much antivenom needs to be produced and in what areas it needs to be distributed, he says. As de Silva and colleagues conclude, despite their careful methodology, more population-based studies of incidence and mortality from snakebite are urgently needed.


Story Source:

Materials provided by Public Library of Science. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Kasturiratne A, Wickremasinghe AR, de Silva N, Gunawardena NK, Pathmeswaran A, et al. Estimation of the global burden of snakebite. PLoS Med, 5(11): e218 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0050218

Cite This Page:

Public Library of Science. "Snakebites: At Least 421,000 Venom Bites And 20,000 Deaths Occur Each Year, Study Finds." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 4 November 2008. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081103203029.htm>.
Public Library of Science. (2008, November 4). Snakebites: At Least 421,000 Venom Bites And 20,000 Deaths Occur Each Year, Study Finds. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 19, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081103203029.htm
Public Library of Science. "Snakebites: At Least 421,000 Venom Bites And 20,000 Deaths Occur Each Year, Study Finds." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081103203029.htm (accessed March 19, 2024).

Explore More

from ScienceDaily

RELATED STORIES