78-year-old woman dies from snake bites in Northern California: Sheriff

(MENDOCINO, Calif) -- A 78-year-old woman has died from snake bites in Northern California, marking the third deadly snake bite victim in the state this year.

The woman was walking in a rural area in Redwood Valley on April 8 when she suffered three venomous snake bites, the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office said.

She was treated at a hospital but died on April 10, the sheriff's office said.

While about 7,000 to 8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes each year in the U.S., only about five of those people die from the bites, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But this already marks the third deadly snake bite in California this year.

A 25-year-old man died after he was bitten by a rattlesnake while mountain biking in Irvine in Southern California in February, according to ABC Los Angeles station KABC. In March, a 46-year-old woman died after she was bitten by a rattlesnake while hiking at Southern California's Wildwood Regional Park, KABC reported.

Peak rattlesnake season is just getting underway. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said bites are most common between April and October.

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