Nature: Vipers, mambas, and taipans: the escalating health crisis over snakebites
“…Snakebites are a growing public health crisis. According to the World Health Organization, around five million people worldwide are bitten by snakes each year; more than 100,000 of them die and as many as 400,000 endure amputations and permanent disfigurement. Some estimates point to a higher toll: one systematic survey concluded that in India alone, more than 45,000 people died in 2005 from snakebite — around one-quarter the number that died from HIV/AIDS…” (Arnold, 8/30).