Snake Bites
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
Jay W. Marks, MD
Jay W. Marks, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Introduction to snake bites
Although venomous (poisonous) snakes are relatively common in the U.S., bites from venomous snakes are a rare cause of death in this country. While there are about 8,000 venomous snake bites reported each year in the U.S., no more than 12 deaths were reported each year from 1960-1990 as a result of poisonous snake bites. About half of all reported snake bites occur in children.
Pit vipers are a family of snakes whose scientific name is Crotalidae. This group, which is responsible for 99% of poisonous snake bites in the U.S., includes the rattlesnakes, copperheads, and water moccasins (cottonmouths). Within this group, rattlesnakes have the most deadly venom and cause the majority of snakebite-related deaths. Rattlesnakes can be found in both the Eastern and Western areas of the country. In particular, the Mojave rattlesnake has one of the most potent venoms of all rattlesnakes. Copperheads, common in the Eastern U.S., have a milder venom than that of rattlesnakes. Water moccasins live around natural waters in the Southeast; their venom has an intermediate potency between that of the rattlesnakes and copperheads. Coral snakes found in the southern U.S., related to the Asian cobras and not part of the pit viper family, are a rare cause of poisonous snake bites in the U.S.
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