Rattlesnake bites worker at Cincinnati Zoo; woman hospitalized

CINCINNATI − A Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden employee was bitten by a rattlesnake Thursday afternoon, the city's fire department said.

Paramedics responded to the reptile house for a report of a snake bite from an Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake just before 4 p.m., fire department spokeswoman Lindsay Haegele said.

The employee, an adult female who has not been named, was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Haegele said. She is in stable condition.

In a statement, Cincinnati Zoo Communications Director Michelle Curley said the employee works in the reptile department and the incident happened in a "behind-the-scenes area." There was never any danger to zoo guests.

The employee received a partial bite and it was determined following a medical assessment that no antivenom was needed, Curley said, adding their prognosis is good.

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Are eastern diamondback rattlesnake bites fatal?

The eastern diamondback rattlesnake is the largest rattlesnake in the world and largest venomous snake in North America, the zoo notes. It's a top predator in its food chain, with its diet consisting of small mammals and birds.

The snake is native to Florida and nearby coastal areas along the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. According to the Smithsonian's National Zoo, a bite from the snake can be fatal, but deaths are rare due to the availability of antivenom.