Snakebite

Summer is upon us and with it we get a spate of questions concerning seasonal injuries and deaths. Lightning strikes. Lawn mower misadventures. Drownings. Heat stroke. And snake bites.

Injuries are tracked by the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, one of 14 National Centers that together comprise the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At the National Center for Health Statistics we track mortality resulting from various injuries. This data comes to us by way of death certificates filed across the nation and collated at county and state level.

Fortunately, deaths from snake bite are rare.

1999…. 7

2000…. 12

2001…. 7

2002…. 3

2003…. 2

2004…. 6