Warm temps could increase snake bites, treatment can be costly

Increased temperatures in Raleigh are causing more snakes to become active near trails and gardens, resulting in a higher incidence of snake bites, and the cost of treatment can be high.
Posted 7/22/2025, 10:29:58 PM Updated 7/22/2025, 11:00:07 PM

POTENTIALLY UNSEALING THAT

GRAND JURY MATERIAL. OKAY.

QUITE THE SAGA HERE. THANK YOU,

BRIAN. TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR

SCREENS HERE AND LOOK AT THIS

PHOTO. THIS IS WHAT A WOMAN'S

HAND LOOKED LIKE.

>> AFTER SHE WAS BITTEN BY A

COPPERHEAD IN HER GARDEN.

YOU SEE HOW SWOLLEN HER

KNUCKLES ARE. NOT ONLY CAN A

SNAKE BITE BE PHYSICALLY

PAINFUL COVERING THE COST TO

FIX THIS CAN BE A PAIN IN ITS

OWN. SO WE FOUND ANTI-VENOM

TREATMENT IN OUR AREA CAN BE

AS HIGH AS $80,000 JUST FOR

AN INITIAL DOSE WRAL'S. HEIDI

KIRK BREAKS DOWN THE COST AND

HOW YOU CAN AVOID IT. WHEN

SNAKES ARE AT THEIR MOST

ACTIVE.

>> THIS IS A TYPICAL DAY AT THE

ROBINS HOUSE. WE HAVE 2 JOBS AS

RETIRED PEOPLE. WE WANT DOGS

AND THE DOGS, BUT ONE DOG WALK

TURNED INTO A TRIP TO THE VET

AFTER A SNAKE SNUCK UP ON

PIPER. SHE WAS SNIFFING AT THE

EDGE OF THE TRAIL. AND THEN

JUMPED BACK.

>> AND A LITTLE BIT FURTHER

ON. AND SHE JUST SAID TO US

THAT I'M GOING TO WALK IN AND

WORK. THE TIBER DIDN'T NEED

ANTI VENOM, WHICH HER OWNERS

ARE HAPPY ABOUT, BUT THEY

NARROWLY AVOIDED WHAT COULD

HAVE BEEN A HIGH-COST EVEN FOR

A DOG. WE CHECK WITH 3 TRIANGLE

HEALTH SYSTEMS ABOUT WHAT THEY

CHARGE FOR ANTI VENOM, WAKE MED

AND UNC HEALTH GOT BACK WITH

US.

>> U N C L CHARGES ANYWHERE

FROM 47 TO $77,000 FOR AN

INITIAL DOSE OF 46 VIALS.

>> IT WAKE-MED EACH OF THOSE

DOSES COST BETWEEN 12 $13,000

LEADING TO A SIMILAR TOTAL

BILL. WE ASKED WHY THE COSTS

ARE SO HIGH. A SPOKESPERSON FOR

UNC HEALTH SAYS ANTI VENOM IS

COMPLICATED TO MAKE AND

EXPENSIVE TO STORE AND

ADMINISTER. IF YOU HAVE HEALTH

INSURANCE THAT WILL OFTEN COVER

IT. BUT IF YOU DON'T OR HAVEN'T

MET YOUR DEDUCTIBLE, YOU MAY BE

COVERING THAT HIGH-COST THE

BEST WAY FOR YOU TO AVOID THAT

COST IS TO AVOID BEING BITTEN

ALTOGETHER, ESPECIALLY THIS

TIME OF YEAR. YOU SHOULD LOOK

OUT FOR SNAKES NEAR WOODED

AREAS NEAR TALL GRASS AND OFTEN

A BODY OF WATER. SO FAR THIS

YEAR, WAKE MED AND UNC HEALTH

COMBINED OF TREATED ALMOST 200

CASES.

>> AND THIS TIME OF YEAR, THEY

OFTEN SEE THAT NUMBER CLIMB,

HEIDI KIRK, WRAL, NEWS.

THIS. THIS VIDEO GIVES ME THE

CREEPS. SO UNFORTUNATELY, THE

SNAKES ALSO LOVE THIS HEAT.

LAST YEAR, NORTH CAROLINA

WILDLIFE REPORTING ROUGHLY 90%

OF THE STATE'S VENOMOUS SNAKE

BITES.

>> ARE CAUSED BY COPPERHEAD.

© WRAL