First posted on 07-06-2012
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that a man who died after being bitten by a copperhead last weekend actually expired from a heart attack, but the snake bite was likely a contributing factor. Snake bite fatalities in Missouri are rare, and the last one from a copperhead bite occurred in 1965. Still, all snakes—even the non-venomous variety—must be treated with respect and caution. Even non-venomous snakes can produce a painful bite that could result in infection.
Jim Low from the Missouri Dept. of Conservation wrote a great blog post about the chances of being bitten by a venomous snake, and what to do if it happens. You can read that post here: http://mdc.mo.gov/blogs/fresh-afield/snakebytes
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Comments:
The Today Show reported snake bites across the U.S. are up 61% this year. They also reported that a man in Georgia who was bitten by a copperhead and treated in a local hospital, received a medical bill for almost $250,000!