30 snake bites have been reported in Ukraine over the past five months
From March through early August, 30 cases of people seeking medical treatment for snake bites were reported in Ukraine. Four of the victims were children.
The highest number of cases was recorded in Zhytomyr Oblast—10—and Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast—9. Another 5 cases were reported in Lviv Oblast, 4 in Chernivtsi Oblast, and one each in Zakarpattia and Rivne Oblasts.
Three species of venomous snakes inhabit Ukraine: the steppe viper, the common viper, and Nikolsky’s viper. The Ministry of Health notes that none of them pose a fatal threat to a healthy adult.
Experts remind the public that snakes do not usually attack first. If you encounter a snake, do not make any sudden movements, do not approach it, and do not try to chase it away.
Source: Ministry of Health of Ukraine.
In the Kyiv region, a two-year-old boy was bitten by a snake while playing in the yard of a private home. The child was rushed to Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital, where medical staff provided the necessary care and stabilized his condition.
In the Baryshivka community of the Kyiv region, a case was reported of a bite by a rare venomous snake—the Nikolsky viper, which is listed in Ukraine’s Red Book.
