Animal attack

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1941 poster for the Cleveland Division of Health encouraging dog bite victims to report dog bites to the proper authorities

Animal attacks are a cause of human injuries and fatalities worldwide.[1] According to the 2012 U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook, 56% of United States citizens owned a pet[2]. In the United States in 1994, approximately 4.7 million people were bitten by dogs.[3] The frequency of animal attacks varies with geographical location. 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 according to the National Safety Council.[4]

Animal attacks have been identified as a major public health problem. "Unprovoked attacks occur when the animal approaches and attacks a person(s) who is the principle attractant, for example, predation on humans..."[5][6] In 1997, it was estimated that up to 2 million animal bites occur each year in the United States.[citation needed] Injuries caused by animal attacks result in thousands of fatalities worldwide every year.[7] All causes of death are reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention each year. Medical injury codes are used to identify specific cases.[8] The World Health Organization uses identical coding, though it is unclear whether all countries keep track of fatalities caused by animals.[citation needed] Though animals, excluding some tigers, do not regularly hunt humans, there is concern that these incidents are " ...bad for many species 'public image'.”

Injuries and infections[edit]

Bite injuries are often the consequences of an animal attack, including those instances when a human attacks another human. Human bites are the third most frequent type of bite after dog and cat bites.[9] Dog bites are commonplace, with children the most commonly bitten with the face and scalp the most common target.[10] In 1936, amputation was required in one third of cases in which treatment was delayed for 24 hours or longer.[9]

Epidemiology and treatment[edit]

Animal bites are the most common form of injury from animal attacks. The US 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.[2] Bites from skunks, horses, squirrels, rats, rabbits, pigs, and monkeys may be up to 1 percent of bite injuries. Pet ferrets attacks that were unprovoked have caused serious facial injuries. Non-domesticated animals, though assumed to be more common especially as a cause of rabies infection, make up less than one percent of reported bite wounds. When a person is bitten, it is more likely to occur on the right arm, most likely due to defensive reactions when the victims uses her or his dominant arm. Estimates are that three quarters of bites are located on the arms or legs of humans. Bites to the face of humans constitutes only 10 percent of the total. Two thirds of bite injuries in humans are suffered by children aged ten and younger. The subsequent treatment for those who have been attacked (if they survive) depends on the injuries. Though trauma may be addressed first, subsequent infections are also treated with appropriate antibiotics.[9]

Up to three fourths of dog bites happen to those younger than 20 years-old. In the United States, the costs associated with dog bites are estimated to be more than $1 billion annually. The age groups that suffer most from dog bites are children 5 to 9 years-old. Often, bites go unreported and no medical treatment given. As many as one percent of pediatric emergency room visits are for treatment for animal bites. This is more frequent during the summer months. Up to five percent of children receiving emergency care for dog bites are then admitted to the hospital. Bites typically occur in the late afternoon and early evening. Girls are bitten more frequently by cats than they are by dogs. Boys are bitten by dogs two times more often than girls.[9]

Medical codes for animal attacks[edit]

Injuries resulting from encounters with animals occur with sufficient frequency to require the use of medical codes by clinicians and insurance companies to document such encounters. The ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Codes are used for the purpose of clearly identifying diseases, their causes, injuries in the United States. Clinicians 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.

Code Description
W53 Contact with rodent
W54 Contact with dog
W55 Contact with other mammals
W56 Contact with nonvenomous marine animal
W57 Bitten or stung by nonvenomous insect and other nonvenomous arthropods
W58 Contact with crocodile or alligator
W59 Contact with other nonvenomous reptiles
W61 Contact with birds (domestic) (wild)
W62 Contact with nonvenomous amphibians
Reference: [11]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Animal bites". World Health Organization. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  2. ^ a b Bula-Rudas, Fernando J.; Olcott, Jessica L. (1 October 2018). "Human and Animal Bites". Pediatrics in Review. 39 (10): 490–500. doi:10.1542/pir.2017-0212. ISSN 0191-9601. PMID 30275032.
  3. ^ "Dog-Bite-Related Fatalities -- United States, 1995-1996". CDC. U.S. Center for Disease Control. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  4. ^ "Injury Facts Chart". National Safety Council. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  5. ^ Angelici, Francesco (2016). Problematic wildlife : a cross-disciplinary approach. Cham: Springer. ISBN 978-3-319-22246-2.
  6. ^ "Animal bites". World Health Organization. February 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  7. ^ Warrell, D.A. (1993). "Venomous bites and stings in the tropical world". Med J Aust. 159 (11–12): 773–779. PMID 8264466.
  8. ^ Langley, Ricky L.; Morrow, William E. (1997). "Deaths resulting from animal attacks in the United States". Wilderness and Environmental Medicine. 8 (1): 8–16. doi:10.1580/1080-6032(1997)008[0008:drfaai]2.3.co;2. PMID 11990139.
  9. ^ a b c d Cherry, James (2014). Feigin and Cherry's textbook of pediatric infectious diseases – Animal and Human Bites, Morven S. Edwards. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier/Saunders. ISBN 978-1-4557-1177-2; Access provided by the University of Pittsburgh
  10. ^ Chen, Henry; Neumeier, Anna; Davies, Brett; Durairaj, Vikram (3 September 2013). "Analysis of Pediatric Facial Dog Bites". Craniomaxillofacial Trauma and Reconstruction. 06 (04): 225–232. doi:10.1055/s-0033-1349211.
  11. ^ "Exposure to animate mechanical forces, W50-W64". ICD-10 Version:2015. World Health Organization. Retrieved 2 November 2019.

Further reading[edit]

  • 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. 22 January 2007. 17 November 2008 [1]
  • 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 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 ISBN 1-876689-34-X
  • 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[edit]

Media related to Animal attacks at Wikimedia Commons

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