India Leads Global Snakebite Cases While Australia Is Not Among Top 20 Countries

A recent study by researchers at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in the UK analyzed snakebite data from 79 countries collected between January 2007 and March 2025 to identify where the highest numbers of snakebites occur annually. Published in PLOS Medicine, the study estimates that between 2.1 and 7 million people worldwide are bitten by venomous snakes each year, with fatalities ranging from 274,000 to 513,000. Remarkably, 75% of these bites happen in just 20 countries.

India ranks first, with an estimated 409,000 to 1.3 million snakebites annually, a country familiar to many Israelis who travel there after military service. Nigeria, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo follow with hundreds of thousands of cases each year. Despite its reputation, Australia does not appear among the top 20 countries for snakebite incidents. Other countries with high snakebite rates include Ethiopia, Kenya, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Brazil, the Philippines, Vietnam, China, and Yemen.

In Israel, there are about 250 to 300 snakebites reported annually, mostly caused by the Israeli viper (Cerastes gasperettii), responsible for over 90% of cases. These bites primarily occur from April to September when snakes are most active after winter hibernation.

The study highlights that poorer countries suffer the highest rates of snakebite incidents and deaths, with sub-Saharan Africa alone accounting for approximately 45% of fatal cases globally. Researchers warn that these figures likely underestimate the true scale, potentially by up to three times for bites and twice for deaths. They emphasize that risk is influenced not only by snake population but also by living conditions, access to medical care, and the speed of receiving antivenom treatment.