Pathogenesis (development of disease)
Depending on the species, an animal bite results in a laceration-squeeze wound, contusion wound, deep puncture wound, or puncture wound. Germs are deeply implanted in the process. The risk of infection can be as high as 85%.
Note: The risk of infection does not depend on the size of the wound – even small wounds have a high risk of infection.
Virulent saliva contains the following germ spectra, depending on the species:
- Dogs
- Mixed anaerobic infections (common: Fusobacterium spp. and Bacteroides spp.)
- Capnocytophaga canimorsus (Latin: canimorsus “dog bite”) (relatively rarely leads to infections).
- Pasteurella spp. (often with low pathogenic (disease-causing) (effect).
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Cats
- Alpha-hemolytic streptococci
- Bartonella henselae; leads to “cat scratch disease” or cat scratch disease: local lymphadenopathy (abnormal swelling of lymph nodes) and frequent occurrence of fever (benign course of the disease)
- Pasteurella multocida (high vírulence (property of the pathogen to make the body sick); phlegmon (purulent, diffusely spreading infectious disease of soft tissues) and hematogenous (“in the bloodstream”) spread and infections such as septic arthritis (bone inflammation), osteomyelitis (bone marrow inflammation, endocarditis (meningitis) and meningitis (meningitis); if systemic: High lethality/sterility rates).
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Rats
- Streptobacillus moniliformis
Etiology (causes)
Animal bites
- Dogs (German shepherds, Rottweilers, Dobermans, and other dogs) – often hand injuries; males more often than females; children are usually bitten on the face or head
- Cats – mostly adult females are affected
- Horses – affected are mostly young girls
- Hamsters
- Caged birds
- Mice
- Rats
- Polecats
- Adders
