Epidemiology, microbiology and diagnostics of dog and cat bites related infections

Animal bites represent a significant global health problem and account for approximately 1-2% of all visits to the emergency department. The vast majority of animal bite injuries are inflicted by dogs (80-90%,) and cats (5-15%). The most common complication following an animal bite is a wound infection, which tends to be polymicrobial and include both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria mainly of oropharyngeal origin. The likelihood of a cat bite becoming infected is double of that of a dog bite. Pasteurella spp. predominates in infected dog and cat bites. Dog bite injuries can be also associated with Capnocytophaga canimorsus, an aggressive organism which can cause disseminated infections (sepsis) and death, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. Early aggressive local wound cleansing is the most important therapy to prevent infection after animal bites. Due to the polymicrobial etiology of infected bite wounds, broad-spectrum antibiotics, covering both aerobic and anerobic bacteria, are often recommended as empiric treatment of animal bites.