Common infections associated with dog bites

When people hear about dog bites that break the skin, their thoughts tend to immediately turn to the risk of rabies – which is a well-known, potentially lethal virus spread through the saliva of animals.

However, rabies isn’t really a big concern these days. Since the 1960s, rabies in dogs has been on the decline and there haven’t been any reports of rabies infections from dog bites in quite a few years in the United States – although people do still contract the disease due to bites from other animals, including foxes, skunks and bats.

However, that does not mean you are home-free and without any worries. You can still get:

Pasteurella

Pasteurella is a type of bacteria commonly found in the mouths of both cats and dogs, and symptoms of infection include redness, swelling and pain at the site. It can lead to a serious skin condition called cellulitis, infections in your joints and even a life-threatening condition called sepsis if left untreated.

Capnocytophaga

Capnocytophaga is another kind of bacteria found in the mouths of canines, and symptoms of this infection include redness, swelling, blistering, fever, vomiting and diarrhea. Antibiotics are crucial, and some victims even need to be hospitalized for a while.

Staphylococcus

Staph infections are always serious. They start with redness and skin that is warm to the touch, with streaky red lines and swelling visible. If left untreated, victims can develop abscesses in their skin, cellulitis, gangrene and systemic infections. Staph infections are also frequently resistant to antibiotics, which makes them hard to treat.

No matter how clean a bite from a dog looks, microscopic bacteria can be driven deep into human tissue from a dog’s sharp teeth, so make sure that you seek immediate medical attention if you’re bitten. While rabies may be mostly a thing of the past, there are equally dangerous infections waiting. Learning more about how to recover fair compensation for your losses may also help.