Buy backpacks, exercise machines, athletic shoes, and more at Fogdog Sports. When an animal bites, it can transmit bacteria from its mouth into the wound. These bacteria may grow within the wound and cause an infection. The consequences of infection range from mild discomfort to life-threatening complications. Over one million Americans are bitten by animals annually.
Cat bites become infected more frequently than dog bites.
The wound type explains the infection rates. Puncture wounds appear innocuous on the surface, but the underlying injury goes deep. Cat teeth essentially inject bacteria into the bite, and the deep, narrow wound is difficult to clean. The bacterial species most commonly found in bite wounds include Pasteurella multocida, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas and Streptococcus. P. multocida, the root cause of pasteurellosis, is especially prominent in cat bite infections.