PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases broadens its coverage of envenomings caused by animal bites and stings
José Marı́a Gutiérrez, Jean‐Philippe Chippaux, Geoffrey K. Isbister
Abstract
Envenomings from animal bites and stings are particularly frequent in developing countries where they dramatically affect the most deprived populations. A wide variety of animals from different taxa synthesize and inject venoms either as a trophic mechanism to subdue and digest prey or as a defense against predators and other enemies. These toxic secretions can also be injected into humans or domestic animals and significantly impact human and veterinary health. Bites by venomous snakes cause 1.8 to 2.7 million cases of envenomings every year, with 81,000 to 138,000 fatalities, and, possibly, leaving more people with permanent physical and psychological sequelae This burden of illness largely occurs in impoverished rural populations in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In addition, snakebite has a heavy socioeconomic impact, because it predominantly affects the young working population in low-and middle-income countries For these reasons, snakebite envenoming is included in the list of neglected tropical diseases of the World Health Organization.