Background: Venomous animal contact (VAC), defined as exposure to toxins through bites or stings from venomous species, remains a significant yet under-recognized public health concern, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. Despite its public health importance, comprehensive estimates of VAC burden are lacking. This study aims to investigate the global, regional, and national burden of VAC across 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2021. Methods: This study was designed as a retrospective cross-sectional analysis using population-level data from the 2021 Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study, covering 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2021. The global incidence, prevalence, deaths, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) attributed to VAC, as well as corresponding age-standardized rates were estimated. The average annual percentage change was calculated, and the Bayesian age-period-cohort (BAPC) model were employed to assess the corresponding trends over the periods 1990–2021 and 2022–2050, respectively. Findings: In 2021, VAC accounted for an estimated 15 524 933 (95% uncertainty interval UI, 11 659 218 to 19 807 966) incident cases, 6 364 641 (95% UI, 5 415 721 to 7 428 259) prevalent cases, 79 367 (95% UI, 59 826 to 95 257) deaths, and 4 022 502 (95% UI, 3 047 069 to 4 954 021) DALYs globally. Central Latin America and South Asia experienced the highest VAC burden. India was the country with the highest absolute burden of VAC. Low-middle sociodemographic index (SDI) regions experienced the highest VAC burden. A strong inverse association was observed between SDI level and VAC-related DALYs. Decomposition analysis revealed that epidemiological change was the primary driver of burden reduction. Frontier analysis identified several countries – such as India, Pakistan, and South Sudan –where the VAC burden exceeded expectations based on development status. Projections to 2050 indicate continued global decline, but persistent geographic and socioeconomic disparities. Interpretation: Although the global burden of VAC has declined over the past three decades, it remains unevenly distributed, with disproportionately high impacts in low-middle-SDI regions. Targeted interventions, surveillance, and policy attention are warranted to further reduce the burden and address persistent health disparities related to venomous animal exposures.
Hu et al. (Wed,) studied this question.