ArticlePloS one2020
Identifying the snake: First scoping review on practices of communities and healthcare providers confronted with snakebite across the world.
Article in PloS one, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 37 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
37 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 93 citations in OpenAlex.
- A review and in silico screening of plant-derived snake venom/toxin inhibitors: ADMET, drug-likeness, and medicinal chemistry profiling.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2025Pooled it
- Development of a deep learning based framework for classification of Indian venomous snakes integrated with explainable artificial intelligence for primary and emergency care providers.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2026Article
- Burden of Mortality and Morbidity Caused by Snakebites Contributes to Economic Loss in a Rural Population in India.Toxins · 2026Article
- Clinical epidemiology of snakebite envenoming in hospitals 11 provinces of Yangtze River Basin and southern regions of China: A retrospective hospital-based analysis.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2026Article
- Snakebite knowledge among healthcare workers in Gabon: A health facility-based cross-sectional survey.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2026Article
- On the Importance of Correct Snake Identification. Comment on Chippaux et al. Snakebites in Cameroon by Species Whose Effects Are Poorly Described.Tropical medicine and infectious disease · 2026Article
- Reply to Wüster et al. On the Importance of Correct Snake Identification. Comment on "Chippaux et al. Snakebites in Cameroon by Species Whose Effects Are Poorly Described.Tropical medicine and infectious disease · 2026Article
- From words to worries: A cross-cultural comparison of parent-child conversations about snakes in early childhood.PloS one · 2026Article
- Photobiomodulation with Combined Wavelengths Results in Improved Clinical Recovery in a Murine Model ofToxins · 2025Article
- Treatment and treatment outcomes of snakebite envenoming in Uganda: a retrospective analysis.Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene · 2025Article
- Clinical challenges, controversies, and regional strategies in snakebite care in India.The Lancet regional health. Southeast Asia · 2025Review
- 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
- Clinical features of puff adder envenoming: case series of Bitis arietans snakebites in Kenya and a scoping review of the literature.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2025Article
- Knowledge of local snakes, first-aid and prevention of snakebites among community health workers and community members in rural Malawi: A cross-sectional study.Tropical medicine & international health : TM & IH · 2025Article
- A polygeneric immunogen composed of 22 venoms from sub-Saharan African snakes to expand the neutralization scope of the EchiTAb-plus-ICP antivenom.Toxicon: X · 2024Article
- From fangs to antidotes: A scoping review on snakebite burden, species, and antivenoms in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2024Article
- 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
- Nationwide and long-term epidemiological research of snakebite envenomation in Taiwan during 2002-2014 based on the use of snake antivenoms: A study utilizing National Health Insurance Database.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2023Article
- Health care workers' knowledge on identification, management and treatment of snakebite cases in rural Malawi: A descriptive study.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2022Article
- Generation of Multivalent Nanobody-Based Proteins with Improved Neutralization of Long α-Neurotoxins from Elapid Snakes.Bioconjugate chemistry · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSnakebite envenoming is a major global health problem that kills or disables half a million people in the world's poorest countries. Biting snake identification is key to understanding snakebite eco-epidemiology and optimizing its clinical management. The role of snakebite victims and healthcare providers in biting snake identification has not been studied globally.
objectiveThis scoping review aims to identify and characterize the practices in biting snake identification across the globe.
methodsEpidemiological studies of snakebite in humans that provide information on biting snake identification were systematically searched in Web of Science and Pubmed from inception to 2nd February 2019. This search was further extended by snowball search, hand searching literature reviews, and using Google Scholar. Two independent reviewers screened publications and charted the data.
resultsWe analysed 150 publications reporting 33,827 snakebite cases across 35 countries. On average 70% of victims/bystanders spotted the snake responsible for the bite and 38% captured/killed it and brought it to the healthcare facility. This practice occurred in 30 countries with both fast-moving, active-foraging as well as more secretive snake species. Methods for identifying biting snakes included snake body examination, victim/bystander biting snake description, interpretation of clinical features, and laboratory tests. In nine publications, a picture of the biting snake was taken and examined by snake experts. Snakes were identified at the species/genus level in only 18,065/33,827 (53%) snakebite cases. 106 misidentifications led to inadequate victim management. The 8,885 biting snakes captured and identified were from 149 species including 71 (48%) non-venomous species.
conclusionSnakebite victims and healthcare providers can play a central role in biting snake identification and novel approaches (e.g. photographing the snake, crowdsourcing) could help increase biting snake taxonomy collection to better understand snake ecology and snakebite epidemiology and ultimately improve snakebite management.
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