| Today the Victorian Health Minister, Ms Bronwyn Pike, warned the community about the increased risks of snakebite during the current drought as snakes go into urban areas seeking moisture. She said that "If you see a snake, don't go near it, and if you do unfortunately happen to be bitten by a snake, make sure you get urgent medical attention". Contributing to this discussion, Dr Ken Winkel, AVRU Director, highlighted recent snakebite statistics with Associated Press and ABC News Radio. The AVRU's collaborative research with the Research Centre for Injury Studies at Flinders University indicates that about 800 people are hospitalised with snakebite each year with an average of 2-4 fatalities. Given that 40-50% of suspected snakebite victims are admitted to hospital this suggests that about 2000 people present to Australian hospitals each year with definite or suspected snakebites. So "Take Care", "Don't Panic" and be "Snake Smart" this summer. Learn more about snakebite first aid in the "First Aid" section and snakebite statistics in the "General" section, subsection "Facts and Figures", of the AVRU website. |
