Two people have been transported to hospital after snakebites near Gladstone and Rockhampton

A young girl and a man have been taken to hospital for treatment after being bitten by snakes as authorities warn of a rise in bites.

A female toddler has been taken to hospital after being bitten by a snake near Gladstone.

A female toddler has been taken to hospital after being bitten by a snake in Benaraby at 8.23pm on Thursday.

The child was taken to Gladstone Hospital in a stable condition.
Further north in Rockhampton, a man was bitten by a snake around 7.57pm on Charles Street.
The man was taken to Rockhampton Hospital.

Queensland Ambulance Service Rockhampton acting operations supervisor Joseph O’Donnell recently warned snake bite numbers had increased in the past four months.

Rockhampton Ambulance Service Acting Operations Supervisor Joseph O’Donnell.

“In Central Queensland, we have seen a rise in snake bites coming over the summer period – six bites in October, 12 in November and 16 in December,” he said.

Mr O’Donnell warned against interacting with snakes at home or in the bush, and advised locals to err on the side of caution when assessing potential bite incidents.

“Avoid snakes – if you see a snake, leave it alone,” he said.

“We assume every snake bite is a venomous bite.

“Symptoms can vary – it can be gastro-like symptoms with nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, and significant pain at the site can occur.”

Mr O’Donnell also warned against going into the bush barefoot or in shorts.

“Most snake bites are to the lower limbs … always wear boots and long pants when you are out and about in the scrub,” he said.

Australian Reptile Academy snake expert Dr Christina Zdenek said people interfering and interacting with snakes was often a contributing factor in bites.

Dr Christina Zdenek handling a snake. Picture: Nick Hamilton.

“There is a 14 per cent to 50 per cent increase in the chance of a snake bite when people are trying to interact with them – whether that be to try and kill it, or to remove it themselves,” she said.

“Don’t interact with them – people consistently underestimate the speed of our Australian snakes.

“You need extreme expertise to handle and identify snakes.”