Animal Attack/Bite statistics

[Georgia]

Per year in the USA

Dog attacks : 4.7 million 40-50 are Fatal

Cat attacks: 800 thousand sent to ER

Car accident: 45.5 thousand fatalities in 2013

Constrictors: 23 since 1978

Venomous snakes: 8 thousand bites 5 fatalities a year

Smoking: 440 thousand deaths a year

Alcohol: 88 thousand deaths a year


Now tell me. Are venomous snakes such a threat?

[Cmwells90]

well my first question would be, what is your source? Do you have a link that identifies this information from a reputable source?

[Georgia]

The source(s) are a long list... not just 1.

[pdomensis]

Lives wasted staring at internet sites and snake blogs?

Just kidding. That's a very informative list. Thanks for posting.

[FWK]

Ahahaha I never thought to look up smoking related fatalities and compare them to snake related fatalities. More people die every thirty minutes from smoking than non-venomous snakes have killed in 35+ years. You can't fix stupid. Roflmao. That is really blowing my mind right now.

[Jim Smith]

I suspect that if we were exposed to venomous snakes as much as we are these other hazards, the number of venomous bites and deaths would be considerably higher. Additionally, we are very fortunate to have access to proper medical care and anti-venom for the very large majority of venomous snakes that bite the people here in the US

Worldwide, the estimate is that at least 421,000 venomous bites and 20,000 deaths from snakebites occur each year, especially in South and South East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

[Georgia]

I agree Jim. But you have overall health of the population to consider as well.

[Georgia]

In the state of Georgia and South Carolina there are hundreds of Venomous snake keepers... when was the last time you heard of a keeper dying from a bite? It's a very rare situation. Getting bit on a summer night going barefoot is more likely.

[MDT]

threat/danger is not measured just in mortality. It is also measured in morbidity. Morbidity in pit viper envenomation in the US is substantial. Significant lost work time, enormous medical cost, rehab costs, disability, etc.

As I tell patients in the ER...you may not be lucky enough to die from your heart attack or stroke. You just *might* live.....as a severely disabled person. Just something to think about.

[FWK]

Originally Posted by Jim Smith

I suspect that if we were exposed to venomous snakes as much as we are these other hazards, the number of venomous bites and deaths would be considerably higher. Additionally, we are very fortunate to have access to proper medical care and anti-venom for the very large majority of venomous snakes that bite the people here in the US

Worldwide, the estimate is that at least 421,000 venomous bites and 20,000 deaths from snakebites occur each year, especially in South and South East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

Obviously the risk of bites and the effects of any given bite are significantly higher in the undeveloped world. Do a bit of research on diseases and parasites in undeveloped countries vs the developed world, the numbers are absolutely staggering. Any given insect bite or even a little paper cut you would hardly notice here could easily be a death sentence in the undeveloped world.

I personally could be in those numbers somewhere, as a kid I was bitten in the face by a dog (it was young and bit me playfully but I still have small scars) and "mauled" by a cat (not serious really, just small scratches on my arm that bled a lot and freaked my mom out). I have been involved in four auto accidents in my life (only behind the wheel for one, somebody pulled out in front of me), and had a number of alcohol related incidents that could have easily been much worse. On the other hand I've been actively seeking out, observing and handling thousands of snakes including at least hundreds of venomous snakes over the past twenty years and other than nearly stepping on something I didn't see until the last moment I've never had a situation develop you could even reasonably consider a "close call." Clearly there is an inherent danger to working with any wild animal and freak accidents do happen but when millions of people chose to smoke and die from the side effects in massive numbers then turn around and try to tell me snakes are a major threat to public safety because half a dozen people die in snake related accidents a year I can't help but roll my eyes. I've never felt that comparing traffic accident related deaths to snake related deaths to be a good comparison as auto accidents are basically necessary evil, you do what you can to stay safe but we've got to get around somehow, but I really like these smoking statistics. I watched both my grandfathers die very slow and painful deaths due to smoking related cancers, a former co-worker is going through the same thing now. Another co-worker almost lost his life last year to heart disease that was the result of damage done by smoking (he quit smoking some twenty years ago). He underwent triple-bypass surgery. Snake related incidents are always either accidents or the result of an idiot messing with an animal, smoking deaths are intentional. People smoke knowing full well it will have a major negative impact on their health and will likely play a roll in their death. They can toke a cigarette and in the same breath say that I shouldn't be allowed to keep a Burm. Give me a break. The secondhand smoke from their disgusting habit is more likely to kill me than a lifetime of working with snakes. But at the same time you are not going to see me trying to take away their right to smoke.

P.S. To temper the snake bite statistics a bit a rather large percentage of captive venomous snake bites and deaths reported in the US come from snake handling religious cults. It is difficult to say exactly how many are from cults (they call themselves churches, I'm rolling my eyes again) and obviously not all bites are reported.

[Aaron_S]

Originally Posted by MDT

threat/danger is not measured just in mortality. It is also measured in morbidity. Morbidity in pit viper envenomation in the US is substantial. Significant lost work time, enormous medical cost, rehab costs, disability, etc.

As I tell patients in the ER...you may not be lucky enough to die from your heart attack or stroke. You just *might* live.....as a severely disabled person. Just something to think about.

Don't worry! There's very little risk in owning venomous snakes. The numbers tell me it's completely okay. You're more likely to die by a horse. Living in a city apartment building than a venomous snake your neighbour has. Numbers tell me so.

[FWK]

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

Don't worry! There's very little risk in owning venomous snakes. The numbers tell me it's completely okay. You're more likely to die by a horse. Living in a city apartment building than a venomous snake your neighbour has. Numbers tell me so.

Always one of these, hmm?

[Georgia]

I gotta tell you Aaron, your sarcasm is uncalled for. These are statistics. Proven data.

[LiL Zap]

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

Don't worry! There's very little risk in owning venomous snakes. The numbers tell me it's completely okay. You're more likely to die by a horse. Living in a city apartment building than a venomous snake your neighbour has. Numbers tell me so.

I don't think the OP or anyone else is saying that venomous snakes aren't dangerous. What they're saying is that other things have caused more deaths to people than venomous snakes and yet society has this real negative view on them.

[Georgia]

Thank you Zap. You hit the nail right on the head.