High mortality from snakebite in south-eastern Senegal

Over 24 years, from 1976 to 1999, we conducted a prospective study of overa ll and cause-specific mortality among the population of 42 villages of sout h-eastern Senegal. Of 4228 deaths registered during this period, 26 were ca used by snakebite, 4 by invertebrate stings and 8 by other wild or domestic animals. The average annual mortality rate from snakebite was 14 deaths pe r 100 000 population. Among persons aged greater than or equal to 1 year, 0 .9% (26/2880) of deaths were caused by snakebite and this cause represented 28% (26/94) of total deaths by accidents. We also investigated the snake f auna of the area. Of 1280 snakes belonging to 34 species that were collecte d, one-third were dangerous and the proportion of Viperidae, Elapidae and A tractaspidae was 23%, 11% and 0.6%, respectively. The saw-scaled viper Echi s ocellatus was the most abundant species (13.6%). Other venomous species w ere Causus maculatus (6.5%), Naja katiensis (5.5%), Bitis arietans (2.7%), Elapsoidea trapei (2.4%), Naja nigricollis (1.2%), Naja melanoleuca (1.1%), Atractaspis aterrima (0.4%), Dendroaspis potylepis (0.3%) and Naja haje (0 .1%).