Officials emit a new warning in the middle of a sudden increase in snake bites -
The early return of warmer time is likely to blame for the increase in incidents.
While most people know that there are risks associated with the benefit of the outdoors, the thought of a running -in with a poisonous snake can always look like a distant possibility. But while spring begins and we return outside, the chances of meeting a reptile On the hiking trail Or even on your property tend to go up. And now officials have issued a new alert warning the public after a sudden increase in snake bites.
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As of March 19, the health and fauna authorities in Georgia announced that there had been five snake bites reported in the state so far last week . They said that in any case, a poisonous copper was involved - and predicted that it could be a record year for such incidents.
"One involved a two-year-old child who was in their courtyard, played and needed anti-venomo. It was a fairly serious case", " Gaylord Lopez , Executive director of the Georgia Poison Center, told WSB-TV, local affiliate of ABC. "This required a transfer to one of the local hospitals here for children."
He also noted that accidental meetings could occur because of the Surprising locations where they can be found.
"We warn people whether inside or outside," Lopez told the actual press. "We had a few snake bites inside, in work hangars, and so on. We had the other couple, two or three, being outside."
The resurgence of the snake season also poses a complicated problem for pets. Although they are rarely fatal for humans, a small cat or dog can have a 30% mortality rate when it is bitten, Jason Clark , an expert from the Southeastern Reptile Rescue, told WSB-TV.
According to recent research, the increase could be linked to weather situation . A study published last July in the journal American geophysical union examined data from Georgia hospitals from 2014 to 2020, during which 3,908 patients were admitted for snake bites.
After comparing the dates of visits with weather data, the researchers found that for each degree Celsius increases temperature, there was a 6% increase in snake bites. And although there have been more incidents on the summer, the spring saw the nearest association between warmer days and an increase in bites.
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The officials urged the public to remain aware of their environment outside - in particular anywhere, it is a probable snake habitat - and to keep their distances from all the reptiles they see. Those who are bitten should also take the appropriate measures and consult a doctor immediately.
"No bet on the site on the site, no use of a tourniquet, no use of drugs and alcohol," Lopez told WSB-TV. "No sucking as in the old Western films that we saw."
And although it may seem easy to mean reptiles, it is just as important to remember how vital they are for the ecosystem - and that we share their habitat.
"The key factor to reduce negative meetings is education" " Lawrence Wilson , a herpetologist at Emory University and co-author of the study, said in a statement. "Let people know which habitats favor snakes, such as places with dense terrestrial coverage, and they can be wary of these habitats. Snakes and people can live in a compatible way, even poisonous snakes, as long as we respect and understand their habitats and needs. "
