Global patterns can guide prevention policies in homes, workplaces, and more
Snakebites aren’t random, but instead are predictably correlated with a variety of environmental and socioeconomic factors, according to a study published August 6, 2026 in the open-access journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases by Jaideep Menon of Amrita University, India and colleagues.
Snakebite is considered a neglected tropical disease, responsible for as many as 1.4 million deaths per year and disproportionately affecting rural populations in low- and middle-income countries. However, limited information is available on the environmental and socioeconomic factors influencing snakebite incidence.
In this study, Janakiram and colleagues synthesised data from 142 studies documenting over 200 000 snakebites worldwide as far back as the 1800s. This review found that snakebite is strongly related to occupation, with nearly 70% of cases occurring during outdoor work such as farming and construction, and also to timing, with most cases occurring during rainy seasons and during the evening and early night hours. Snakebite cases were also found to be correlated with factors related to poverty, such as lack of adequate footwear, poorly secured homes, and limited access to healthcare education.
These results highlight areas where targeted policies might significantly reduce the risk of snakebite, including the realms of workplace safety, rural development, housing improvement, and health education. The authors note that this dataset is limited, being mostly focused in South Asia and suffering from inconsistent reporting of variables involved in each snakebite incident, and that future studies should focus on filling these gaps to form a more comprehensive global understanding of factors related to snakebite.
The authors say: “The scoping review told us something we needed to hear: limiting ourselves to antivenom will never address the behavioural and environmental factors that put people at risk in the first place.” They add: “The inverse care law is particularly relevant to snakebite; The people most exposed to snakes – because of where they live and the work, they do – are also the people furthest from a hospital that can treat them. You cannot fix that gap with antivenom alone; antivenom sits at the wrong end of the problem.”
Provided by PLOS
