
North Carolina Tops U.S. Venomous Snakebite Rates in New Analysis
A 2026 national analysis finds North Carolina has the highest estimated per-capita rate of venomous snakebites in the United States (18.79 incidents per 100,000 people, about 856 bites per year). Texas records the most total bites, but NC leads on a per-capita basis; the top-rate states include Arkansas, Georgia, West Virginia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arizona and South Carolina. The report notes NC venomous species (copperheads, cottonmouths, rattlesnakes) and offers bite-response guidance: stay calm, seek emergency care (call 911), or contact NC Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222, remove tight clothing, wash the bite, cover it, and avoid tours, cutting, sucking venom, ice, or painkillers that thin the blood.








