Habu trimeresurus flavoviridis bites on the amami islands of japan in 1987
Sawai, Y.; Kawamura, Y.
Snake 21(1): 1-5
1989
Accession: 007388078
During the year 1987, 160 (two deaths) habubites were reported on the Amami Is. in which 112 (70%) bites were reported from the Tokunoshima Is. and 48 (30%) bites were from the Amami Main Is. Although the average morbidity rate per 1000 population was 1.4 in which the highest one was 5.44 in Isen Town in Tokunoshima and the lowest one was 0.1 in Naze City. During 8 months from March to October 137 (87%) bites were reported. The highest incidence of bite was recorded in the age of fiftieth (29%), although the ages of bite were widely distributed in almost all of the ages. Bites in males were more than three times as frequent as those in females. Eighty-nine (56%) of the total bites occurred in agricultural field and 29 (18.1%) of bites were in residence and on road. Although the habu has nocturnal habit, 111 (79%) of bites occurred in daylight hours from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. in which 76 bites occurred in agricultural field whereas 47 (29%) of bites were at dark hours from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in which 34 bites occurred in residence and on road. Almost all the bites occurred in extremities (94%) in which 100 (63%) were bites in upper extremities and 51 (32%) were lower extremities. In 160 bites, two deaths were reported and cellulitis or neceosis of tissues occurred at the locus of bite in 11 cases in which 6 cases (4%) had some motor disturbances after the wound had healed.