In Georgia, a snake hotspot in the United States, for each degree a day heats up, the odds of getting bitten by a venomous snake increase by nearly 6%. Similar trends May be true elsewhere.
Climate change is not only making Georgia hotter but also increasing the likelihood of snake bite, according to a new study. Every degree Celsius of daily temperature increase corresponds with about a 6% increase in snake bites, researchers found. The results are published in GeoHealth, which publishes research investigating the intersection of human and planetary health for a sustainable future.
Snakes are cold-blooded animals, so they are generally more active in warmer weather. And globally, temperatures are rising.
“Venomous snake bites are classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a high-priority neglected tropical disease,” said Noah Scovronick, a health and environmental scientist at Emory University who led the new study. Around the world, approximately 5 million people are bitten by snakes every year, and of those up to 138,000 people die, according to the WHO.
Read more at American Geophysical Union
Image: Georgia is home to 7 species of dangerous, venomous snakes, including the Eastern Diamondback shown here. Rising temperatures in the state correlate with higher rates of snakebite, according to a new study in the AGU journal GeoHealth. (Credit: Lawrence Wilson via American Geophysical Union)