page_title: Dog bite
section_title: Health effects
hierarchical_section_title: Dog bite / Health effects
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Hundebiss Français&#160;: Morsure de chien English: Dog bite
context_page_description: A dog bite is a bite upon a person or other animal by a dog. More than one successive bite is often called a dog attack, although dog attacks can include knock-downs and scratches. Though many dog bites do not result in injury, they can result in infection, disfigurement, temporary or permanent disability, or death. Another type of dog bite is the "soft bite" displayed by well-trained dogs, by puppies, and in non-aggressive play. Dog bites can occur during dog fighting, as a response to mistreatment, trained dogs acting as guard or military animals, or during a random encounter.
  There is debate on whether or not certain breeds of dogs are inherently more prone to commit attacks causing serious injury. Regardless of the breed of the dog, it is recognized that the risk of dangerous dog attacks can be greatly increased by human actions or inactions.
  Significant dog bites affect tens of millions of people globally each year. It is estimated that 2% of the U.S. population, 4.5–4.7 million people, are bitten by dogs each year. Most bites occur in children. In the 1980s and 1990s, the U.S. averaged 17 deaths per year.
context_section_description: Rabies results in the death of approximately 55,000 people per year, with most of the causes due to dog bites. Capnocytophaga canimorsus, MRSA, tetanus, and Pasteurella can be transmitted from a dog to someone bitten by the dog. Bergeyella zoohelcum is an emerging infection transmitted through dog bites. Infection with B. zoohelcum from dog bites can lead to bacteremia.
caption: Wound on a child received from a dog bite
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