Association between temperature and snakebite incidents in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Climate change has significant implications for public health, including an increase in incidents involving venomous animals like snakes. This study investigates the relationship between temperature and snakebite incidents in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. We analyzed data from 2009 to 2019 on snakebite notifications and monthly average temperatures across 35 microregions in Rio Grande do Sul. Data were obtained from the Brazilian Unified Health System (DATASUS) and the Agricultural Meteorological Monitoring System (Agritempo). Multilevel Poisson models with robust variance were used to assess the association between snakebite rates and temperatures. The study found a positive correlation between temperatures and snakebite incidents in all microregions, with an average increase in temperature of 1 °C over the study period. Snakebite notifications increased by an average of 50.4%, with some microregions experiencing increases of over 90%. The highest correlations were found in Passo Fundo (r = 0.885), Caxias do Sul (r = 0.875), and Santa Maria (r = 0.820). Each degree increase in temperature was associated with an 8–22% increase in the risk of snakebite incidents. The findings indicate a significant relationship between rising temperatures and the increase in snakebite incidents. This underscores the need for public health strategies to mitigate the impact of climate change on snakebite risks.