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.[4] Bites from skunks, horses, squirrels, rats, rabbits, pigs, and monkeys may be up to 1 percent of bite injuries. Pet ferrets attacks that were unprovoked have caused serious facial injuries. Non-domesticated animals, though assumed to be more common especially as a cause of rabies infection, make up less than one percent of reported bite wounds. When a person is bitten, it is more likely to occur on the right arm, most likely due to defensive reactions when the victims use her or his dominant arm. The most common place for fatal bites are mostly on the individual's head.[13] Estimates are that three-quarters of bites are located on the arms or legs of humans. Bites to the face of humans constitute only ten percent of the total. Two-thirds of bite injuries in humans are suffered by children aged ten and younger. Bite injuries are often the consequences of an animal attack, including those instances when a human attacks another human. Human bites are the third most frequent type of bite after dog and cat bites.[14] Dog bites are commonplace, with children the most commonly bitten with the face and scalp the most common target.[15]

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 these bacteria (not related to rabies) 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, Capnocytophagacanimorsus, and Prevotella.[6][16]

The subsequent treatment for those who have been attacked (if they survive) depends on the injuries. Though trauma may be addressed first, subsequent infections are also treated with appropriate antibiotics.[14] The use of prophylactic antibiotics can significantly reduce the risk of producing a serious infection in the lesion.[17] It is important to visit a doctor if the injury is very serious. 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 to be more than $1 billion annually. The age groups that suffer most from dog bites are children 5 to 9 years old. Often, bites go unreported and no medical treatment is given. As many as one percent of pediatric emergency room visits are for treatment for animal bites. This is more frequent during the summer months. Up to five percent of children receiving emergency care for dog bites are then admitted to the hospital. Bites typically occur in the late afternoon and early evening. Girls are bitten more frequently by cats than they are by dogs. Boys are bitten by dogs two times more often than girls.[14] To prevent serious and even fatal infections from bites, it is recommended to vaccinate both humans and animals with the rabies vaccine, even if the person is not directly exposed to that infection. In addition, it is essential to know and consider the probability of transmission, the animal species that caused the injury, the type of injury, the severity of the injury and age, health, and other aspects of the affected individual.[6] In 1936, amputation was required in one-third of cases in which treatment was delayed for 24 hours or longer.[14]

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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• CrocBITE
• Fatal dog attacks in the United States
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• List of deadliest animals to humans

• Anderson, Knenneth, et al, "The Man-Eater of Jowlagiri", from Nine Man-Eaters and One Rogue, 1955
• Anitei, Stefan. "The Limits of the Human Nose: How much can a human smell?" Softpedia. 22 January 2007. 17 November 2008
• Batin, Christopher. "Bear Attacks!" Outdoor Life 210.6 (2003): 46.
• Brandt, Anthony. "Attack". Outdoor Life 197.1 (1996): 52.
• Cardall, Taylor Y. and Peter Rosen. "Grizzly Bear Attack". The Journal of Emergency Medicine 24.3 (2003): 331–333.
• Driscoll, Jamus. "Bears on the Rampage". Outdoor Life 197.2 (1996): 20.
• Egerton, L. ed. 2005. Encyclopedia of Australian wildlife. Reader's Digest ISBN 1-876689-34-X
• Fergus, Charles. Wild Guide: Bears. Mechanisburg, PA; Stackpole Books, 2005.
• 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,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.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Animal attacks.

• NCIPC bibliography of articles on dog bites Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Animal bites, World Health Organization
• CrocBITE
• "Fatal Alligator Attacks". Southeastern Outdoors. Retrieved 31 March 2006.