TITLE:
Vulnerability to Ophidian Envenomation Deaths among Rural Populations at Bassila in North-Eastern Benin
AUTHORS:
Chéwanou Prisca Mayeule Djékété, Georgia Barikissou Damien, Badirou Aguemon
KEYWORDS:
Vulnerability, Snake Bite, Snake, Death, Sociocultural Beliefs, North-Eastern Benin
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Epidemiology,
Vol.15 No.3,
August
22,
2025
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Snake bites and deaths caused by snake bites are a particularly significant public health issue in rural tropical areas. This study was initiated with the aim of raising awareness of the re-emergence and severity of ophidian envenomation (snake bites) in the municipality of Bassila in north-eastern Benin. The main objective was to study the incidence and factors associated with deaths from snake bites in the Bassila health zone in north-eastern Benin from 2020 to 2024. Method: This was a mixed cross-sectional analytical study of the 548 cases of ophidian envenomation recorded during the study period. It was conducted in the municipality of Bassila in Benin. All victims of snake bites admitted to the Bassila district hospital from 2020 to 2024 were included in the study. The data collected was entered using the Kobocollect platform and analysed using Stata18 statistical software. Results: The average age of the victims was 27.04 ± 1.91 years. Victims under the age of 18 accounted for 37.4% of cases, while those aged 18 - 30 accounted for 35.04%. The majority (59.7%) of victims had grade 0 or 1 snake envenomation, compared to 40.3% of patients with grade 2 or higher. The factors identified as being associated with deaths due to ophidian envenomation were the location of the bite, the place of origin, the grade of envenomation and the presence of haemorrhagic or cardiac disorders. Conclusion: It is therefore important to launch awareness campaigns targeting the most vulnerable populations, as well as to strengthen the capacity of healthcare personnel in regional hospitals to treat snake bites, including in children.