[Snake bites in the state of São Paulo, Brazil]

From 1986 to 1989, 8,721 accidents caused by poisonous snakes have been notified to the Government of the State of São Paulo (Brazil), Health Department, which represented the average annual incidence rate of 6.8 to 7.4/100,000 persons. The classification of the snake genus had been possible in 6,834 cases and the distribution was: Bothrops (85.6%), Crotalus (13.3%) and Micrurus (1.1%). The vast majority of cases (5,807) occurred from November to April. The age distribution shows that 74.4% of the accidents had been suffered by people from 10 to 49 year old people with great predominance in males (77.0%). The anatomical areas more frequently bitten were feet and ankles (52.8%), hands (20.5%) and legs (17.2%). At the health center 67.5% of the patients had been treated within the first, second and third sixth hour after the accident. The distribution according to the severity of poisoning was: light (53.5%), moderate (38.3%) and severe (8.2%). The case fatality rate was 0.4%, 60,954 vials of various anti-venoms were used (an average of 7.0 vials per patient). Accidents owing to poisonous snakes are frequent in the State of São Paulo; the most important genus is Bothrops; the young male population is more often attacked; they are an important cause of death.