This animal kills 100,000 people a year. Why can’t we stop it?
Snakebites are responsible for approximately 100,000 deaths annually, making them one of the deadliest animals after mosquitoes and humans. Despite the existence of antivenoms, challenges such as species-specific venom and accessibility hinder effective treatment. Recent efforts in India aim to improve reporting and treatment options for snakebites, which have historically been underreported.
- ▪Snakes kill roughly 100,000 people each year, significantly more than sharks, which kill about six.
- ▪India accounts for about half of the world's snakebite deaths, with recent estimates suggesting around 60,000 deaths annually.
- ▪Antivenoms are often expensive and require matching to specific snake species, complicating treatment in rural areas.
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Future PerfectThis animal kills 100,000 people a year. Why can’t we stop it?For comparison, sharks kill about six.by Pratik PawarMay 20, 2026, 12:30 PM UTCShareGiftZakaria Muturi, a puff adder bite survivor and venomous-snake handler, leads a snakebite awareness campaign in rural Kenya. Kenya is working to develop locally produced antivenom for regional snakes. Tony Karumba/AFP via Getty ImagesPratik Pawar is a fellow for Future Perfect. He reports on global health, science, and biomedicine, focusing on how policies and systems shape progress.There are few animals humans fear more than sharks. This is understandable: Sharks are big, dramatic creatures that have been permanently lodged in our culture as underwater killers since Jaws.They also kill about six people in a given year.
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