Jackson said sometimes a venomous snakebite can be harmless, too, if the snake didn't inject venom. If a venomous snake bites you, make reasonable haste to the nearest hospital. Stay calm, he said, and immobilize the bitten area. Farm workers, children playing outdoors and snake handlers are the most frequent snakebite victims. Jackson said bites of pit vipers cause intense pain.
Coral snakes are an exception.
They don't hurt much. The good news for snakebite victims is that nearly everybody recovers. The U.S. snakebite fatality rate is less than 1 percent. This includes people who refuse treatment. You are 20 times more likely to be killed by lightning than by a snake.