Animal attack

Animal bites are the most common form of injury from animal attacks. The U.S. estimated annual count of animal bites is 250,000 human bites, 1 to 2 million dog bites, 400,000 cat bites, and 45,000 bites from snakes. Bites from skunks, horses, squirrels, rats, rabbits, pigs, and monkeys may be up to one percent of bite injuries. Unprovoked pet ferret attacks have caused serious facial injuries. Non-domesticated animals, although assumed to be more common, especially as a cause of rabies infection, make up less than one percent of reported bite wounds. Bites to the right arm are the most likely due to defensive reactions when the victim uses their dominant arm. The most common location for fatal bites is on the individual's head.{{Cite journal|last1=Clark|first1=Michael A.|last2=Sandusky|first2=George E.|last3=Hawley|first3=Dean A.|last4=Pless|first4=John E.|last5=Fardal|first5=Patrick M.|last6=Tate|first6=Larry R.|date=1991-07-01|title=Fatal and Near-Fatal Animal Bite Injuries|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1520/jfs13146j|journal=Journal of Forensic Sciences|volume=36|issue=4|pages=1256–61|doi=10.1520/jfs13146j|pmid=1919485|issn=0022-1198|url-access=subscription}} It is estimated that three-quarters of bites to humans are to the arms or legs. Bites to the face constitute only ten percent of total bites. Children aged ten and younger suffer two-thirds of reported bite injuries. Bite injuries are often the result of an animal attack, including instances when a human attacks another human. Human bites are the third most frequent type of bite after dog and cat bites.{{cite book|last=Cherry|first=James|title=Feigin and Cherry's Textbook of Pediatric Infectious Diseases – Animal and Human Bites, Morven S. Edwards|publisher=Elsevier/Saunders|year=2014|isbn=978-1-4557-1177-2|location=Philadelphia, PA|postscript=; Access provided by the University of Pittsburgh}} Dog bites are commonplace, with children the most frequently bitten and the face and scalp the most common targets.{{cite journal|last1=Chen|first1=Henry|last2=Neumeier|first2=Anna|last3=Davies|first3=Brett|last4=Durairaj|first4=Vikram|date=3 September 2013|title=Analysis of Pediatric Facial Dog Bites|journal=Craniomaxillofacial Trauma and Reconstruction|volume=6|issue=4|pages=225–232|doi=10.1055/s-0033-1349211|pmc=3820741|pmid=24436765}}

Animal bites carry an increased risk of infection due to their exposure to rabies and different bacteria that animals have in their oral cavity. Microbiological studies are carried out to determine some of these infections. Frequently these infections are polymicrobial with different mixtures of aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms. Some of the bacteria identified by the remains that are maintained in the bites and by exposure to other variables and change of physical environment are: Pasturella spp., Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Moraxella, Corynebacterium, Neisseria, Fusobacterium, Bacteroides, Posphuomonoa, Capnocytophaga canimorsus, and Prevotella.{{Cite journal|last1=Goldstein|first1=E J|last2=Citron|first2=D M|date=1988-08-01|title=Comparative activities of cefuroxime, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, ciprofloxacin, enoxacin, and ofloxacin against aerobic and anaerobic bacteria isolated from bite wounds |journal=Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy |volume=32|issue=8|pages=1143–1148|doi=10.1128/aac.32.8.1143|pmid=3190202|pmc=172366|issn=0066-4804}}

Treatment for those who have been attacked depends on the injuries. Though trauma may be addressed first, subsequent infections are also treated with appropriate antibiotics. The use of prophylactic antibiotics can significantly reduce the risk of a serious infection in the lesion.{{cite book |last=Boat|first=Barbara W.|chapter=Dog Bites to Children: Family Interventions and Prevention Strategies|date=2019|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-812962-3.00003-4|title=Clinician's Guide to Treating Companion Animal Issues |pages=35–46 |publisher=Elsevier |doi=10.1016/b978-0-12-812962-3.00003-4 |isbn=978-0-12-812962-3 |s2cid=149938544|access-date=2020-10-01}} It is important to visit a doctor if the bite is severe. Up to three-quarters of dog bites happen to those younger than 20 years old. In the United States, the costs associated with dog bites are estimated at over $1 billion annually. The age groups that suffer most from dog bites are children 5 to 9 years old. Often bites go unreported and receive no medical treatment. Up to one percent of pediatric emergency room visits are for animal bites. This is more frequent during the summer months. Up to five percent of children receiving emergency care for dog bites are hospitalized. Bites typically occur in the late afternoon and early evening. Girls are bitten more frequently by cats than by dogs, while boys are bitten by dogs two times more often than are girls. To prevent serious and even fatal infections, rabies vaccines for both humans and non-human animals are recommended, even if the person is not directly exposed to the infection. In addition, it is essential to know and consider the probability of transmission, the animal that caused the bite, the type and severity of the injury, and the age and overall health of the victim.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}} In 1936, amputation was required in a third of cases in which treatment was delayed for 24 hours or longer.

Injuries resulting from encounters with animals occur with sufficient frequency to require the use of medical codes by clinicians and insurance companies to document such encounters. The ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Codes are used for the purpose of clearly identifying diseases, their causes, injuries in the United States. Clinicians use these codes to quantify the medical condition and its causes and to bill insurance companies for the treatment required as a result of encounters with animals.

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{{reflist}}

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• Egerton, L. ed. 2005. Encyclopaedia of Australian wildlife. Reader's Digest {{ISBN|1-876689-34-X}}
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• Guo, Shuzhong, et al., "Human facial allotransplantation: a 2-year follow-up study". The Lancet 372.9639 (2008): 631–638.
• Masterson, Linda. Living with Bears. Masonville, CO; PixyJack Press, LLC, 2006.
• Linnell, John D.C., et al.,[http://www.nina.no/archive/nina/PppBasePdf/oppdragsmelding/731.pdf The Fear of Wolves – review of wolf attacks on humans]
• Ward, Paul and Suzanne Kynaston. Wild Bears of the World. United Kingdom: Cassell plc, 1995
• Whitman, David. "The Return of the Grizzly". Atlantic Monthly 286.3 (2000): 26–31.

{{Commons category|Animal attacks}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110108163404/https://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/duip/dogbites.htm NCIPC bibliography of articles on dog bites] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• [https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/animal-bites Animal bites], World Health Organization
• [http://www.crocodile-attack.info/ CrocBITE] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170718001754/http://www.crocodile-attack.info/ |date=18 July 2017 }}
• {{cite web|publisher=Southeastern Outdoors|title=Fatal Alligator Attacks|url=http://www.southeasternoutdoors.com/wildlife/reptiles/fatal-alligator-attacks.html|access-date=31 March 2006}}

{{Animal bites and stings}}

Category:Animal killing

Category:Canid attacks

Category:Deer

Category:Ethology

Category:Human–wildlife conflict

Category:Injuries

Category:Snakes