pntd.0013763.t006 -

BackgroundSnakebite envenoming is a significant yet often overlooked public health issue. Despite Australia’s reputation for venomous snakes, hospitalisation rates for snakebites have remained relatively low due to factors such as low population density, widely available antivenoms, and high-quality healthcare. However, population growth and climate change have increased snake sightings, raising concerns about shifts in snakebite incidence and seasonality. The Australian Venomous Injuries Project (AVIP) analysed hospitalisation data from 2002 to 2020 to assess trends and implications of snakebite-related injuries across Australia.MethodsAustralian hospital separations data relating to contact with venomous snakes from the National Hospital Morbidity Database (NHMD), were analysed across the reference period 2002–2020. Data was provided by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).ResultsBetween 2002 and 2020, a total of 10,763 hospitalisations with a principal ICD-10 diagnosis code of T63.0 ‘Toxic effect of contact with venomous animals, snake venom’ or X20 ‘Contact with venomous snakes’ were recorded across Australia, with an age-standardised rate of 2.6 (2.1-3.6) per 100,000 population. Males were hospitalised at more than twice the rate of females, and males aged 25–44 reported the highest number of bites. The Northern Territory had the highest age-standardised rate of hospitalisations from snakebite, with 7.6 (4.5-12.8) per 100,000 population, though hospitalisations in the Territory were stable across the study period. Hospitalisations in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and involving persons >65 years of age all increased by >5% across the study period.ConclusionDespite population growth, urban expansion, and climate change, snakebite hospitalisation rates in Australia remained stable from 2002 to 2020. Mortality was not directly assessed but has remained stable in other reports. The observed increase in hospitalisations in Tasmania, the ACT, and older adults warrants further investigation to assess potential impacts on morbidity and mortality.