Persistent spatial hotspots and socioeconomic inequalities of snakebite envenoming in Peru: A nationwide spatiotemporal analysis, 2010-2025.

BACKGROUND: Snakebite envenoming remains a major neglected tropical disease worldwide, disproportionately affecting rural and socioeconomically vulnerable populations in tropical and subtropical regions. In Peru, snakebite burden is strongly concentrated in Amazonian territories, yet nationwide evidence on its long-term spatial dynamics and socioeconomic determinants remains limited. METHODOLOGY: This study provides the first multiscale spatiotemporal assessment of snakebite envenoming incidence in Peru between 2010 and 2025. National surveillance data were analyzed at departmental and district levels to evaluate temporal trends, spatial clustering, hotspot persistence, ecological suitability, and socioeconomic associations. Spatial autocorrelation was assessed using Global Moran's I and Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA), while associations between Human Development Index (HDI) and snakebite envenoming incidence were evaluated across Peruvian macroregions. FINDINGS: A total of 32,942 snakebite envenoming cases were reported during the study period, with more than 60% concentrated in Amazonian departments, particularly Loreto, San Martín, and Ucayali. Snakebite incidence exhibited significant spatial autocorrelation throughout the study period (Moran's I = 0.53-0.61; p < 0.05), revealing a non-random and spatially structured distribution of risk. LISA analyses identified persistent hotspot districts concentrated mainly in the northern and central Peruvian Amazon, forming a stable corridor of elevated incidence over time. Persistent hotspots spatially overlapped with areas of high environmental suitability for medically important venomous snakes, particularly Bothrops atrox, and elevated potential species richness. Socioeconomic analyses revealed marked regional heterogeneity, with a significant moderate negative correlation between HDI and snakebite incidence in the Northern Amazon (Spearman's [Formula: see text] = [Formula: see text]; p < 0.001), indicating higher burden in socioeconomically vulnerable districts. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that snakebite envenoming in Peru is spatially persistent, ecologically structured, and closely associated with socioeconomic inequalities in Amazonian regions. Identifying persistent high-risk areas may support geographically targeted surveillance, optimized antivenom allocation, and territorially adapted public health interventions.