Association Between Deforestation and the Incidence of Snakebites in South Korea

Snakebites are a significant global health concern; despite various known risk factors, the role of environmental changes, such as deforestation, remains underexplored. Therefore, we investigated the association between deforestation and snakebite incidence in South Korea. Aggregated data were obtained from the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) and the National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS) from 2014 to 2021. The main explanatory variable was the level of deforestation by district and year. Additional covariates included altitude, average temperature, population size, proportion of urban land cover, proportion of agricultural land cover, and level of ecological preservation. Twelve statistical models were employed to assess the association between deforestation and snakebite incidence. The odds ratios and relative risks ranged between 1.217 and 1.452 and between 1.078 and 1.175, indicating a significant positive association between these two factors. These findings suggest that deforestation notably increases snakebite risk; collectively, our findings can help develop targeted preventive measures and healthcare strategies to reduce snakebite risk globally.