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Evolving how we treat snakebite

For over 100 years, snakebite treatment has remained fundamentally unchanged: antivenom that is matched to specific snake types is administered in a hospital. Too many people continue to die before they reach a hospital, too many hospitals have no or inadequate supplies of antivenom, and survivors often suffer long-term physical disability.

4-5 million

snakebites globally each year1

~125,000

deaths each year
(one death every 4 minutes)2

Snakebite can cause neuromuscular weakness including respiratory failure, inability to maintain blood pressure, inability to form blood clots or inappropriate blood clot formation, and severe tissue damage. These toxicities can lead to death or permanent disability.

75%

of deaths occur prior to hospital arrival3

~400,000

permanent disabilities globally each year from venomous snakebite1,4

Snakebite risk across environments

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Global health

Approximately 95% of venomous snakebites occur in low- and middle-income countries, where antivenom may be scarce or unavailable and the financial burden of treatment is high.1-2 Snakebite envenomation is a WHO-recognized neglected tropical disease (NTD) and accounts for a significant portion of NTD deaths.6-7

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Endemic areas in the US

Venomous snakes are found in 46 states. Many people live in close proximity to venomous snakes.8-9 Walking/hiking and doing yard work are top reasons that people encounter venomous snakes in the U.S.10

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Remote travel/work

Individuals who venture to remote areas for recreation or work, including members of the military, are at increased risk for snake encounters far from medical facilities that stock antivenom.
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Veterinary care

Dogs are at high risk for snake envenomation, with approximately 50,000 dogs envenomated annually in the U.S., often requiring costly treatment and a lengthy recovery.11-13

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“Snakebite is the biggest public health crisis that you have likely never heard of. But it’s also a challenge that can be solved.”

—Kofi Annan, Former Secretary-General of the United Nations
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Snakebite burden in humans
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Snakebite burden in pets

Citations

  1. Afroz A, Siddiquea BN, Chowdhury HA, Jackson TN, Watt AD. Snakebite envenoming: A systematic review and meta-analysis of global morbidity and mortality. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2024;18(4):e0012080. Published 2024 Apr 4. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0012080
  2. Warrell DA, Williams DJ. Clinical aspects of snakebite envenoming and Its Treatment in Low-Resource Settings. Lancet. 2023;401(10385):1382-1398. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(23)00002-8
  3. Mohapatra B, Warrell DA, Suraweera W, et al. Snakebite mortality in India: a nationally representative mortality survey. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2011;5(4):e1018. Published 2011 Apr 12. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0001018
  4. Seifert SA, Armitage JO, Sanchez EE. Snake Envenomation. N Engl J Med. 2022;386(1):68-78. doi:10.1056/NEJMra2105228
  5. Jayawardana S, Gnanathasan A, Arambepola C, Chang T. Chronic Musculoskeletal Disabilities following Snake Envenoming in Sri Lanka: A Population-Based Study. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2016;10(11):e0005103. Published 2016 Nov 4. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0005103
  6. Harrison RA, Casewell NR, Ainsworth SA, Lalloo DG. The time is now: a call for action to translate recent momentum on tackling tropical snakebite into sustained benefit for victims. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2019;113(12):835-838. doi:10.1093/trstmh/try134
  7. Pach S, Le Geyt J, Gutiérrez JM, et al. Paediatric snakebite envenoming: the world's most neglected 'Neglected Tropical Disease'?. Arch Dis Child. 2020;105(12):1135-1139. doi:10.1136/archdischild-2020-319417
  1. Rautsaw RM, Jiménez-Velázquez G, Hofmann EP, et al. VenomMaps: Updated species distribution maps and models for New World pitvipers (Viperidae: Crotalinae). Sci Data. 2022;9(1):232. Published 2022 May 25. doi:10.1038/s41597-022-01323-4
  2. Longbottom J, Shearer FM, Devine M, et al. Vulnerability to snakebite envenoming: a global mapping of hotspots. Lancet. 2018;392(10148):673-684. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31224-8
  3. Harmon KJ, Haskell MG, Mann CH, Waller AE. Snakebites Treated in North Carolina Emergency Departments, October 2013–September 2015. Wilderness & Environmental Medicine. 2018;29(2):176-184. doi:10.1016/j.wem.2018.01.004
  4. Gilliam LL, Brunker J. North American snake envenomation in the dog and cat. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2011;41(6):1239-1259. doi:10.1016/j.cvsm.2011.08.008
  5. Johnston, A., & Schmidt, J. (2001). The effect of africanized honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) on the pet population of tucson: A case study. American Entomologist, 47 (2), 98-103. https://doi.org/10.1093/ae/47.2.98
  6. Peterson ME. Snake bite: pit vipers. Clin Tech Small Anim Pract. 2006;21(4):174–182. doi:10.1053/j.ctsap.2006.10.008