Three people have died following what experts are calling an "unusual" string of fatal snake bites in California.
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The incidents have unfolded over recent weeks, raising concern among residents and wildlife officials.
The most recent victim, a 78-year-old woman, died after being bitten three times in Redwood Valley on April 4.
She had reportedly been walking on a rural property when the attack occurred.
Hikers Dead in Rare Surge of Snake Bite Fatalities
Emergency services rushed the woman to the hospital following the bites. However, her condition quickly worsened, and she later died.
The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office confirmed that the cause of death was "snake envenomation from snake bites".
Health officials say the number of incidents reported so early in the year is highly unusual.
"From January to the end of March, we were called to consult on approximately 70 cases, which is an unusual number for this time of year," a spokesperson from the California Poison Control System said, via Sky News.
"Each year, we typically get calls on approximately 300-350 cases of rattlesnake bites from all over California. Most of these cases are in the early spring and summer months (April to August)."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes annually in the United States.
Despite that number, fatalities remain rare, with roughly five deaths recorded each year.
The recent surge of deaths in California has raised concern among experts.
Multiple Fatal Incidents Reported Across the State
The latest death follows two other fatal incidents reported in March.
A 46-year-old woman died after a snake attack in Wildwood Park in Ventura County.
In a separate case, a 25-year-old man died after being bitten while mountain biking in Orange County.
Several other victims across the state survived similar encounters in recent weeks.
These include a teenage girl rescued from a nature trail after being bitten, as well as a woman attacked while picking flowers.
Sky News reports that unseasonably heavy rainfall, along with higher temperatures in recent weeks, could be encouraging snakes "to emerge from their winter burrows".
The same report notes that rattlesnakes are the only native venomous snakes in the state.
