A female employee was taken to a hospital after getting bitten by an eastern diamondback rattlesnake at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden on Thursday, October 19, 2023, as per FOX9 KMSP. She reportedly suffered a partial bite in a “behind-the-scenes area,” of the zoo. The identity of the victim and the time of the incident have not been made public.
Paramedics were dispatched to the reptile house before 4 p.m., as per reports by the Cincinnati Enquirer. She was then transferred to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center in stable condition. The staffer apparently did not require an anti-venom shot for the bite despite being bitten by the largest venomous snake in North America.
Can an eastern diamondback rattlesnake bite lead to death?
According to the zoo, the eastern diamondback rattlesnake is the largest rattlesnake in the world and the largest venomous snake in North America. It feeds on small mammals and birds.
While the snake is known for producing a venom called hemotoxin, which kills red blood cells and can cause tissue damage, it is rarely fatal due to the availability of antivenom.
Another rattlesnake attack
In Florida last month, an Amazon driver suffered an eastern diamondback rattlesnake bite while delivering a package in Palm City. The venomous snake was coiled near the front door, and when the driver placed the package down, it bit her on “the back of her leg just above the knee.” The woman immediately contacted 911. She was confirmed to be in a stable condition a day later, as per ABC News.