The incidence of snakebite in South Africa and the challenges associated with lack of reporting

Background: Snakebite is a public health challenge that has a substantial impact on humans and snakes. Annually, millions of people are affected by snakebite globally but there is a paucity of detailed data on snakebite incidences. The aim of this study was to assess the patterns of snakebite incidences in South Africa.

Methods: We collected data from hospital records, information from the National Snakebite Database and records from the AfriTox Telelog database from 2011 to 2024.

Results: The combined dataset showed that 3496 snakebite incidences have been recorded over 12.5 years. The prevalence was calculated to be 5.63 per 100 000 individuals of the population for South Africa, with the highest prevalence in KwaZulu-Natal (8.89). Males made up 65.9% of snakebite incidences and most incidences were recorded between November and March. The snake species responsible for most snakebite incidences was Bitis arietans.

Conclusion: Snakebite is generally well managed in South Africa with few recorded deaths despite the relatively high number of bites. However, incidents are often not recorded or have missing information particularly regarding the circumstances of the bite. Our study provides insight on the snake species responsible for snakebite incidences in South Africa and can be used to create prevention measures.