Epidemiology of snakebite and use of antivenom in Argentina

A total of 8083 completed questionnaires was collected between 1978 and 1998. The annual incidence of snakebite was 1.8 bites per 100 000 inhabitants, with a high geographical heterogeneity; in the northern provinces of the country, the incidence can exceed 150 snakebites per 100 000 people per year. Bothrops (pit viper) bites predominated, accounting for 96.6% (6720/6957) of envenomations, bites from Crotalus (rattlesnake) accounted for 2.8% (195/6957), and bites from Micrurus (coral snake) for 0.6% (42/6957). Most patients were young men, who were generally bitten during agricultural activities, i.e. while working in the fields. Most snakebites (78.9%, 5852/7419) were to the lower limb, including 58.3% (4322/7419) to the foot. The case fatality rate was