Estimating the Global Burden of Snakebite
Author Information
Author(s): Kasturiratne Anuradhani, Wickremasinghe A. Rajitha, de Silva Nilanthi, Gunawardena N. Kithsiri, Pathmeswaran Arunasalam, Premaratna Ranjan, Savioli Lorenzo, Lalloo David G, de Silva H. Janaka
Primary Institution: Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Ragama, Sri Lanka
Hypothesis
What is the global burden of snakebite envenoming and deaths?
Conclusion
Snakebites cause considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide, with at least 421,000 envenomings and 20,000 deaths occurring each year.
Supporting Evidence
- Globally, at least 421,000 envenomings and 20,000 deaths occur each year due to snakebite.
- Estimates suggest that the actual numbers could be as high as 1.8 million envenomings and 94,000 deaths.
- India has the highest annual number of envenomings and deaths from snakebite.
Takeaway
Snakebites are a big problem in many countries, causing a lot of people to get sick or die each year.
Methodology
The study used electronic searches for publications, extraction of mortality data from WHO databases, and grey literature from key informants to estimate snakebite envenomings and deaths.
Potential Biases
The study may overestimate or underestimate the burden due to reliance on data from regions with varying reporting quality.
Limitations
The estimates may differ substantially from actual numbers due to reliance on incomplete data and assumptions made in calculations.
Participant Demographics
The majority of snakebite victims are young males in rural areas of tropical and subtropical countries.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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