Introduction:

Snake bites are a serious public health problem.

Objective:

To describe the cases of snake bites reported to the National Zoonosis Control Program and National Anti-Rabies Center, Paraguay during 2015.

Method:

Observational, descriptive, retrospective and cross-sectional study. The inclusion criteria were any person who has been bitten by a snake and it has been notified to the National Zoonosis Control Program and National Anti-Rabies Center during 2015. Type of non-probabilistic sampling.

Results:

169 cases of snake bites were reported. According to the sociodemographic characteristics, the majority of those affected were males, with an average age of 26.39 ± 1.36. The most frequent places where theophidic accidents occurred were the farms, and in the Department of San Pedro. In most of the bites the aggressor snake could not be identified, and when they were identified, they were those of the genus Bothrops, the most frequent. As for the location of the bites, they were more frequent in the lower limbs, requiring hospitalization for treatment. No deaths were reported.

Conclusion:

In the year 2015, 169 cases were notified, the departments with the highest prevalence were San Pedro, Itapua and Caazapá. The profile of the affected is a male with an average age of 26 years, a rural worker. The snakes of the genus Bothrops caused 32.5% of the bites.

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