Bites from both animals and humans are a relatively common source of injury.
In most cases, the injury resulting from an animal bite is minor. However, any bite from a mammal (any warm-blooded, milk-producing, hairy animal with a backbone), including humans, can lead to an infection. This is because a wide range of potentially dangerous bacteria is found in the saliva of all mammals, which can be passed into the skin and surrounding tissue during a bite.
For information and advice about other types of bites, see the Health A-Z topics about Snake bites and Insect bites.
How common are animal bites?
It is difficult to estimate exactly how common bites are because many people do not seek medical treatment for minor bites.
The most common types of animal bites are:
- dog bites, accounting for 60%-90% of cases
- cat bites, accounting for 5%-20% of cases
- human bites, accounting for 4%-23% of cases
Dog bites are most common in young children aged five to nine (particularly boys). It is estimated that half of all children will be bitten by a dog at some point during their life. It is often a family pet, or a dog that belongs to a friend or neighbour.
Not much is known about cat bites, but it appears that women are more likely to be bitten by a cat than men.
Most human bites occur during a fight, usually when a person punches someone in the teeth. These are known as closed-fist bites or "fight bites". Men aged 16-25 are most likely to sustain these sort of bites.
Outlook
The outlook for most dog bites is good because the resulting injuries are usually minor and can be treated at home.
Reports of serious dog attacks, usually involving young children, receive a lot of media coverage in the UK. However, these attacks are very rare.
Like dog bites, cat and human bites usually only cause minor injuries, although they do carry a higher risk of infection. Therefore, as a precaution, antibiotics may be required.
Complications that arise from animal bites are uncommon, but if they do occur they can be serious. For example, one possible complication is a bacterial infection that spreads through the bloodstream (sepsis).