What are my chances of being bitten by a venomous snake in the U.S.? How many people die each year from venomous snake bites?
The chances of being bitten by a venomous snake in the United States are very low, and the chance of death is virtually nonexistent, particularly given the availability and quality of medical care in the U.S. Approximately one out of 37,500 people are bitten by venomous snakes in the U.S. each year (7-8,000 bites per year), and only one out of 50 million people will die from snakebite (5-6 fatalities per year). The graph below compares deaths from venomous snakebites to some leading causes of death, lightning strikes and other animal related deaths. Did you know that you are nine times more likely to die from being struck by lightning than you are to die of venomous snakebite?
