ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2017
The socio-economic burden of snakebite in Sri Lanka.
Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 44 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
44 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Antivenom preclinical efficacy testing against Asian snakes and their availability in Asia: A systematic review.PloS one · 2023Pooled it
- Global systematic review of cost of illness and economic evaluation studies associated with snakebite.Journal of global health · 2020Pooled it
- Photobiomodulation Therapy to Treat Snakebites Caused by Bothrops atrox: A Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA internal medicine · 2024Trial
- Burden of Mortality and Morbidity Caused by Snakebites Contributes to Economic Loss in a Rural Population in India.Toxins · 2026Article
- Community beliefs, risk factors, and preventive practices of snakebite: a local study with global perspectives.BMC research notes · 2025Observational
- Cross-sectional survey of the incidence, mortality and socioeconomic burden of snakebite envenoming in India.Nature communications · 2025Article
- First-aid practices and pre-hospital care in paediatric snakebites.BMC pediatrics · 2025Article
- Article
- Conflict between sea snakes and humans on the coast of West Bengal and Odisha, India: perception, attitudes and incidents.Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene · 2025Article
- The epidemiology of snakebites, treatment-seeking behaviour, and snakebite management in the department of Ogooué et des Lacs, Gabon, Central Africa: a cross-sectional community and health facility-based survey.Journal of global health · 2025Article
- Cost of Snakebite and Its Impact on Household Economy in Southern Nepal.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2025Article
- Reported snakebite mortality and state compensation payments in Madhya Pradesh, India, from 2020 to 2022.Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene · 2025Article
- A Nationwide Study on the Risks of Complications and Healthcare Costs of Snakebite Envenomation in Taiwan.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2024Article
- Scaling up antivenom for snakebite envenoming in the Brazilian Amazon: a cost-effectiveness analysis.Lancet regional health. Americas · 2024Article
- Conducting epidemiological studies on snakebite in nomadic populations: A methodological paper.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2023Review
- Who are the most affected by Bothrops snakebite envenoming in Brazil? A Clinical-epidemiological profile study among the regions of the country.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2023Review
- Uniting behind a common goal: Collaboration between traditional healers and allopathic health care workers to improve rural snakebite care.Toxicon: X · 2022Article
- Estimating economic and disease burden of snakebite in ASEAN countries using a decision analytic model.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2022Article
- Situation of snakebite, antivenom market and access to antivenoms in ASEAN countries.BMJ global health · 2022Review
- Managing snakebite.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSnakebite is a major problem affecting the rural poor in many of the poorest countries in the tropics. However, the scale of the socio-economic burden has rarely been studied. We undertook a comprehensive assessment of the burden in Sri Lanka.
methodsData from a representative nation-wide community based household survey were used to estimate the number of bites and deaths nationally, and household and out of pocket costs were derived from household questionnaires. Health system costs were obtained from hospital cost accounting systems and estimates of antivenom usage. DALYs lost to snakebite were estimated using standard approaches using disability weights for poisoning.
findings79% of victims suffered economic loss following a snakebite with a median out of pocket expenditure of $11.82 (IQR 2-28.57) and a median estimated loss of income of $28.57 and $33.21 for those in employment or self-employment, respectively. Family members also lost income to help care for patients. Estimated health system costs for Sri Lanka were $ 10,260,652 annually. The annual estimated total number of DALYS was 11,101 to 15,076 per year for envenoming following snakebite.
interpretationSnakebite places a considerable economic burden on the households of victims in Sri Lanka, despite a health system which is accessible and free at the point of care. The disability burden is also considerable, similar to that of meningitis or dengue, although the relatively low case fatality rate and limited physical sequelae following bites by Sri Lankan snakes means that this burden may be less than in countries on the African continent.
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