Despite the importance of accidents involving snakebites, research on this theme in Brazil is relatively rare, especially in the Amazon region. Due to the poor number of studies about ophidism in the state of Acre and to the importance of this type of research in public health, epidemiological works on snake bite accidents are of great relevance. This study presents the list of species of poisonous snakes and the epidemiological aspects of snakebites in Cruzeiro do Sul, region of Alto Juruá (State of Acre, Brazil), in order to verify the snake genera responsible for the bites, and the main aspects involving the accidents and hospital attending. The epidemiologic data were collected from SINAN (National Databank of Major Causes of Morbidity) in the sector of epidemiologic vigilance of Hospital Regional do Juruá, in Cruzeiro do Sul. Seven species of poisonous snakes were recorded in Cruzeiro do Sul: three viperids (Bothrops atrox, Bothriopsis bilineata and Lachesis muta) and four elapids (Micrurus hemprichii, M. lemniscatus, M. remotus and M. surinamensis). During a two-year period (August 2007 to July 2009) 195 cases of snakebites were recorded. Fifty-one percent of the accidents were classified as lachetic (Lachesis), followed by bothropic (Bothrops and Bothriopsis) with 38% and crotalic (Crotalus) with 2%. In 9% of cases the snake genus involved was not informed. The majority of the accidents involved adult males living in rural areas, mainly affected in the lower limbs. The cases occurred most frequently from November to April, coinciding with the highest pluviometric levels. Most snakebites were equivocally attributed to L. muta, and were probably caused by B. atrox.
Amazon; Snakebites; Human envenomation; Epidemiology
