FACTS

1. The venom of rattlesnakes and other pit vipers damages tissue around the bite. Venom may cause changes in blood cells, prevent blood from clotting, and damage blood vessels, causing them to leak. These changes can lead to internal bleeding and to heart, respiratory, and kidney failure.
2. The venom of coral snakes affects nervous system activity but causes little damage to tissue around the bite. Most bites occur on the hand or foot.
3. Symptoms of Snakebites vary depending on the following:

• The size and species of snake
• The amount and toxicity of the venom injected (related to the size and species of snake)
• The bite’s location (the farther away from the head and trunk, the less dangerous)
• The person’s age (very old and very young people are at higher risk)
• The person’s underlying medical problems

STATS

• Each year, an estimated 7,000–8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes in the United States, and about 5 of those people die. The number of deaths would be much higher if people did not seek medical care.
• Workers are far more likely to suffer long-term injuries from snake bites than to die from them. For those bitten by rattlesnakes, 10–44 % will have lasting injuries. An example of a disability or permanent injury is the ability to use a finger or losing part or all of it.
• Snakebite envenoming is a relevant public health problem in the Americas, especially in Latin America. On the basis of the estimated number of cases, the total number of cases in the Americas would be about 80,000.
• In about 25% of all pit viper bites, venom is not injected.
• Rattlesnakes account for about 70% of venomous snakebites in the United States and for almost all of the deaths.