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Animal attacks are violent attacks caused by non-human animals against humans, one of the most common being
bites Biting is a common zoological behavior involving the active, rapid closing of the jaw around an object. This behavior is found in toothed animals such as mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish, but can also exist in arthropods. Myocytic contra ...
. These attacks are a cause of human injuries and fatalities worldwide. According to the ''2012 U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook'', 56% of United States citizens owned a pet. In the United States in 1994, approximately 4.7 million people were bitten by
dogs The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. ...
. The frequency of animal attacks varies with
geographical Geography (from Ancient Greek, Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, i ...
location, as well as hormonal secretion.
Gonad A gonad, sex gland, or reproductive gland is a mixed gland that produces the gametes and sex hormones of an organism. Female reproductive cells are egg cells, and male reproductive cells are sperm. The male gonad, the testicle, produces sper ...
glands found on the anterior side of the
pituitary gland In vertebrate anatomy, the pituitary gland, or hypophysis, is an endocrine gland, about the size of a chickpea and weighing, on average, in humans. It is a protrusion off the bottom of the hypothalamus at the base of the brain. The hypoph ...
secrete androgens and estrogens hormones. Animals with high levels of these hormones tend to be more aggressive, which leads to a higher frequency of attacks not only to humans but among themselves. In the United States, a person is more likely to be killed by a domesticated dog than they are to die from being
hit by lightning ''Hit By Lightning'' is a 2014 Canadian-American black comedy film written and directed by Ricky Blitt and produced by Chantal Chamandy, as his directorial debut and her film producer debut. Filmed on locations in Ottawa and Los Angeles, the fi ...
according to the
National Safety Council The National Safety Council (NSC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, public service organization promoting health and safety in the United States. Headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, NSC is a member organization, founded in 1913 and granted a congressi ...
. Animal attacks have been identified as a major
public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...
problem. In 1997, it was estimated that up to 2 million animal bites occur each year in the United States. Injuries caused by animal attacks result in thousands of fatalities worldwide every year. "Unprovoked attacks occur when the animal approaches and attacks a person(s) who is the principal attractant, for example, predation on humans ..." All causes of death are reported to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency, under the Department of Health and Human Services, and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georg ...
each year. Medical injury codes are used to identify specific cases. The
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of ...
uses identical coding, though it is unclear whether all countries keep track of animal-related fatalities. Though animals, excluding some
tigers The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on un ...
, do not regularly hunt humans, there is concern that these incidents are "bad for many species 'public image'."


Epidemiology and injuries

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. Bites from skunks, horses, squirrels, rats, rabbits, pigs, and monkeys may be up to one percent of bite injuries. Unprovoked pet ferret attacks have caused serious facial injuries. Non-domesticated animals, although assumed to be more common, especially as a cause of
rabies Rabies is a viral disease that causes encephalitis in humans and other mammals. Early symptoms can include fever and tingling at the site of exposure. These symptoms are followed by one or more of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, vi ...
infection, make up less than one percent of reported bite wounds. Bites to the right arm are the most likely due to defensive reactions when the victim uses their dominant arm. The most common location for fatal bites is on the individual's head. It is estimated that three-quarters of bites to humans are to the arms or legs. Bites to the face constitute only ten percent of total bites. Children aged ten and younger suffer two-thirds of reported bite injuries. Bite injuries are often the result of an animal attack, including instances when a human attacks another human. Human bites are the third most frequent type of bite after dog and cat bites.
Dog bites A dog bite is a bite upon a person or other animal by a dog, including from a rabid dog. More than one successive bite is often called a dog attack, although dog attacks can include knock-downs and scratches. Though some dog bites do not result ...
are commonplace, with children the most frequently bitten and the face and scalp the most common targets.


Infections

Animal bites carry an increased risk of
infection An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable dise ...
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 Aerobic means "requiring air," in which "air" usually means oxygen. Aerobic may also refer to * Aerobic exercise, prolonged exercise of moderate intensity * Aerobics, a form of aerobic exercise * Aerobic respiration, the aerobic process of cellu ...
and
anaerobic Anaerobic means "living, active, occurring, or existing in the absence of free oxygen", as opposed to aerobic which means "living, active, or occurring only in the presence of oxygen." Anaerobic may also refer to: * Anaerobic adhesive, a bonding a ...
microorganisms. Some of the bacteria 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 ''Streptococcus'' is a genus of gram-positive ' (plural ) or spherical bacteria that belongs to the family Streptococcaceae, within the order Lactobacillales (lactic acid bacteria), in the phylum Bacillota. Cell division in streptococci occu ...
,
Staphylococcus ''Staphylococcus'' is a genus of Gram-positive bacteria in the family Staphylococcaceae from the order Bacillales. Under the microscope, they appear spherical ( cocci), and form in grape-like clusters. ''Staphylococcus'' species are faculta ...
,
Moraxella ''Moraxella'' is a genus of gram-negative bacteria in the family Moraxellaceae. It is named after the Swiss ophthalmologist Victor Morax. The organisms are short rods, coccobacilli, or as in the case of ''Moraxella catarrhalis'', diplococci i ...
,
Corynebacterium ''Corynebacterium'' () is a genus of Gram-positive bacteria and most are aerobic. They are bacilli (rod-shaped), and in some phases of life they are, more specifically, club-shaped, which inspired the genus name ('' coryneform'' means "club-sha ...
,
Neisseria ''Neisseria'' is a large genus of bacteria that colonize the mucosal surfaces of many animals. Of the 11 species that colonize humans, only two are pathogens, '' N. meningitidis'' and '' N. gonorrhoeae''. ''Neisseria'' species are Gram-negat ...
,
Fusobacterium ''Fusobacterium'' is a genus of anaerobic, Gram-negative, non-sporeforming bacteria belonging to Gracilicutes. Individual cells are slender, rod-shaped bacilli with pointed ends. Strains of ''Fusobacterium'' cause several human diseases, includi ...
,
Bacteroides ''Bacteroides'' is a genus of Gram-negative, obligate anaerobic bacteria. ''Bacteroides'' species are non endospore-forming bacilli, and may be either motile or nonmotile, depending on the species. The DNA base composition is 40–48% GC. Unus ...
, Posphuomonoa,
Capnocytophaga canimorsus ''Capnocytophaga canimorsus'' is a fastidious, slow-growing, Gram-negative rod of the genus '' Capnocytophaga''.Pers C, Gahrn-Hansen B, and Frederiksen W. 1996. ''Capnocytophaga canimorsus'' Septicemia in Denmark, 1982-1995: Review of 39 Cases. ...
, and
Prevotella ''Prevotella'' is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria. ''Prevotella'' spp. are members of the oral, vaginal, and gut microbiota and are often recovered from anaerobic infections of the respiratory tract. These infections include aspiration pn ...
.


Treatments

Treatment for those who have been attacked depends on the injuries. Though trauma may be addressed first, subsequent infections are also treated with appropriate antibiotics. The use of prophylactic antibiotics can significantly reduce the risk of a serious infection in the lesion. It is important to visit a doctor if the bite is severe. 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 at over $1 billion annually. The age groups that suffer most from dog bites are children 5 to 9 years old. Often bites go unreported and receive no medical treatment. Up to one percent of pediatric emergency room visits are for animal bites. This is more frequent during the summer months. Up to five percent of children receiving emergency care for dog bites are hospitalized. Bites typically occur in the late afternoon and early evening. Girls are bitten more frequently by cats than by dogs, while boys are bitten by dogs two times more often than are girls. To prevent serious and even fatal infections, rabies vaccines for both humans and animals are recommended, even if the person is not directly exposed to the infection. In addition, it is essential to know and consider the probability of transmission, the animal that caused the bite, the type and severity of the injury, and the age and overall health of the victim. In 1936, amputation was required in a third of cases in which treatment was delayed for 24 hours or longer.


Medical codes for animal attacks

Injuries resulting from encounters with animals occur with sufficient frequency to require the use of
medical codes Procedure codes are a sub-type of medical classification used to identify specific surgical, medical, or diagnostic interventions. The structure of the codes will depend on the classification; for example some use a numerical system, others alph ...
by clinicians and
insurance companies Insurance is a means of protection from financial loss in which, in exchange for a fee, a party agrees to compensate another party in the event of a certain loss, damage, or injury. It is a form of risk management, primarily used to hedge ...
to document such encounters. The
ICD-10-CM The ICD-10 Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) is a modification of the ICD-10, authorized by the World Health Organization, used as a source for diagnosis codes in the United States of America. It replaces the earlier ICD-9-CM. Adoption Adoption ...
Diagnosis Codes are used for the purpose of clearly identifying
disease A disease is a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function (biology), function of all or part of an organism, and that is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medica ...
s, their causes,
injuries An injury is any physiological damage to living tissue caused by immediate physical stress. An injury can occur intentionally or unintentionally and may be caused by blunt trauma, penetrating trauma, burning, toxic exposure, asphyxiation, or ...
in the United States.
Clinician A clinician is a health care professional typically employed at a skilled nursing facility or clinic. Clinicians work directly with patients rather than in a laboratory or as a researcher. A clinician may diagnose, treat, and otherwise care for pa ...
s 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.


Notable deaths


See also

* 2010 Sharm el-Sheikh shark attacks *
2013 New Brunswick python attack An African rock python killed two boys in Campbellton, New Brunswick, Canada, on August 5, 2013. The boys, Noah Barthe, 4, and Connor Barthe, 6, were sleeping in an apartment above their friend's father's pet store. The python – which had been in ...
* CrocBITE * Fatal dog attacks in the United States * Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916 * Kali River goonch attacks * Kenton Joel Carnegie wolf attack * List of deadliest animals to humans


References


Further reading

* 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 Softpedia is a software and tech news website based in Romania. It indexes, reviews and hosts various downloadable software and reports news on technology and science topics. Website Softpedia hosts reviews written by its staff—each review in ...
. 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 ''The Journal of Emergency Medicine'' is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal covering emergency medicine. It is the official journal of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine. The editor-in-chief is Stephen Hayden (University of California ...
'' 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 * 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.


External links



Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Animal bites
World Health Organization
CrocBITE
* {{Animal bites and stings Animal killing Canid attacks Deer Ethology Human–wildlife conflict Injuries Snakes