[Epidemiological panorama of venomous snake bites in the state of Yucatan, Mexico (2003-2012)].

No information has been yet published on the epidemiological panorama of snakebite in the state of Yucatan. The aim of this study was to evaluate the geographic and temporal patterns of this problem in the state. Snakebite data was obtained from the Program of Zoonosis of the Health Services of Yucatan between 2003 and 2012. A total of 821 snakebite cases and an incidence of 41.9 accidents/100,000 inhabitants were recorded during this period. The annual average cases and incidence were 82.1 and 4.1 (bites/100,000 inhabitants), respectively. The highest number of snakebites occurred in 2005, while in 2003 the lowest number was recorded. Geographically, we observed a great disparity between municipalities, some of them reaching very high levels of incidence. This geographical variation may reflect the distribution and abundance of venomous snakes on one hand, and human population densities and their activities on the other. This study will help health authorities to know preliminarily the magnitude of snakebites in Yucatan and improving strategies to mitigate it.