North Carolina nears 600 snakebites for 2026 and counting. Why medical bills come close to $100,000

Medical data obtained by WRAL shows nearly 600 people have reported being bitten by a venomous snake so far in 2026 in North Carolina.

2026-08-13

But does that reflect a significant change compared with years past? And when a venomous snake bites, how long do victims have to react before suffering serious medical complications?

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Medical experts in North Carolina — the state with the highest rate of venomous snakebites per capita in the country — say how quickly someone seeks medical attention after a venomous bite can drastically affect the severity of the injury and recovery.

"Heard the slap and felt the sting" | Why time matters in treating snake venom

When Shelly Leslie stepped out of her car this summer, she didn't realize she'd soon be facing a medical bill approaching $100,000.

Leslie, a former employee of Capitol Broadcasting Company, has been sharing her painful recovery on social media after being bitten by a copperhead snake in June.

“Felt like my leg was on fire," Leslie said. "It was like hot, hot fire traveling up my leg.”

Leslie's walking has improved recently, but for several weeks, she needed crutches to move around, even inside her home.

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She tells WRAL she filed a complaint with Wake County EMS over what she says first responders said about her bite: that it was "dry," meaning without venom.

She was transported to a local emergency department, where medical staff there treated it as such: a bite, without venom. 

“EMS clinicians in the field are trained to provide immediate wound care to a snake bite and to transport the patient to a local emergency department," says Dr. Jeff Williams, medical director for Wake County EMS.

Meanwhile, Leslie was suffering from envenomation. She returned to a different emergency department days later to get her first antivenom treatments, much later than the recommended time for treatment.. She believes the initial belief that her bite was "dry" has negatively affected her recovery.

“I definitely think the difference in care is prolonging my recovery," she said.

"The diagnosis of envenomation and decision to administer antivenom (or not) is the responsibility of emergency department physicians. EMS field care protocols are generally meant to treat patients in early stages of illness or injury. The final diagnosis and treatment decisions take place after the patient is at the hospital or emergency department under the care of physicians," Dr. Williams also says.

So, how long should someone wait to seek medical treatment after a venomous snakebite?

According to Kaiser Permanente, antivenom treatment is generally needed as soon as possible after the initial bite. In many cases, it is administered within four to six hours.

Humans have no natural antibodies or defense against snake venom, according to Dr. Benjamin German, a WakeMed emergency medicine physician known colloquially as the "Venom Doc."

The longer someone goes without antivenom treatment, German said, the more time the venom has to damage tissue and disrupt normal blood clotting.

"One of the analogies I like to use is, you know, let's say your kitchen catches on fire in your house, right? You want to put that fire out quickly, right? You don't want it to spread to the whole house, so you know essentially the antivenom is putting out the fire and keeping it from spreading," he said.

Delaying care, German said, could increase the risk of long-term health effects as the venom continues to damage the body.

"The big risk is that you may have long-term disability involving an extremity. In most cases, that is going to get a lot better with time. But you know, with antivenom, that time to recovery can be decreased," he said.

Six-figure medical bills | Why is antivenom so expensive?

Even though antivenom can be necessary to counter the effects of venomous snakebites, treatment can cost close to $100,000.

In Leslie's case, her medical portal displays a $91,000 bill.

According to a WakeMed spokesperson, a vial of CroFab antivenom costs between $11,000 and $14,000. Standard envenomation cases usually require four to six vials, with four vials equaling one treatment.

A spokesperson for UNC Health told WRAL that charges for a "typical" snakebite case could range from $46,000 to $78,000.

Federal law generally requires insurance companies to cover or reimburse portions of emergency care. How much a patient is ultimately responsible for paying, however, can vary.

So, why is this potentially lifesaving treatment so expensive?

The U.S. sees an estimated 5,000 to 8,000 snakebite cases each year, according to Dr. German, meaning demand for antivenom is relatively low.

"If you think about other medications like antibiotics or blood pressure medicines or, you know, cholesterol medicines, these are medicines that, you know, millions of people take every month. They can be produced at scale, which reduces the cost. Antivenom is — it's actually considered an orphan drug, meaning that it is not used very frequently," German said.

The process of producing antivenom also contributes to its high cost. Production involves injecting diluted venom into host animals, such as horses, allowing the animals' immune systems to produce significant quantities of antibodies.

Are snakebites on the rise? Public data says not quite

WRAL requested data from North Carolina Poison Control. In 2024, North Carolina recorded 902 human exposures involving snakebites, more than in either 2023 or 2025.

Through Aug. 12, 2026, that number stands at 595.

Comparing similar time periods, however, shows North Carolina has recorded virtually identical snakebite numbers over the past three years.

Through July 20:

• 2026: 478
• 2025: 477
• 2024: 474

According to WakeMed, emergency department visits are in line with previous years as well:

• 2023: 105 Visits
• 2024: 129 Visits
• 2025: 131 Visits
• 2026: 54 visits (to date)

Medical Dos and Don'ts: How to handle snakebites

According to Dr. German, snakebite victims should not:

• Bring the snake to the hospital
• Use “snakebite kits"
• Apply a tourniquet
• Make incisions
• Apply suction
• Use ice or heat
• Apply substances to the bite
• Drink alcohol
• Try to catch or kill the snake

Victims may do any of the following:

• Gently wash the bite, if possible
• Safely leave the area of the snake
• Call for help as soon as possible
• Seek medical attention
• Acetaminophen is OK to take for pain, avoid other analgesics until medical attention