North Carolina Tops U.S. Venomous Snakebite Rate at 18.79 per 100,000 as Texas Leads Total Cases
Updated
Updated · WTVD-TV · Jun 25
North Carolina Tops U.S. Venomous Snakebite Rate at 18.79 per 100,000 as Texas Leads Total Cases
3 articles · Updated · WTVD-TV · Jun 25
Summary
North Carolina records an estimated 856 venomous snakebites a year, giving it the highest per-capita rate in the U.S. at 18.79 incidents per 100,000 people, a 2026 national analysis found.
Texas still has the largest raw total at more than 1,400 venomous snakebites annually, but North Carolina moves ahead once population is taken into account.
Warm-month contact in Piedmont yards, Blue Ridge trails, coastal wetlands and campsites helps drive the rate, alongside a mix of venomous species including copperheads, cottonmouths, rattlesnakes and the rare eastern coral snake.
Copperheads are the state's most common venomous snake and are found even in suburban neighborhoods; health officials say bite victims should get away safely, seek emergency care immediately and call poison control for first-aid guidance.