Animal Bites Information

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Animal Bites

If your child has been bitten by any animal, wild or domestic, do the following:

• Clean the wound at once with water and mild soap.

• If the wound is severe - with large tears or perforations, handle it asyou would any large wound.

• Contact your child's doctor as soon as possible.

CONCERNS ABOUT RABIES

The major concern after the bite wound is treated is whether or not the child will needspecific treatment to prevent rabies (a viral infection that is nearly always fatal). If the wildanimal has been caught, it will be killed and its brain examined microscopically for evi-dence of this disease. While awaiting the results of this examination - or more commonly,if the animal is not captured and its brain cannot be evaluated - a decision must be madewhether or not to begin a rabies vaccination series. This will depend to a large degree onthe type of animal involved and the circumstances of the bite.

In most parts of the United States, bites from wild rodents such as squirrels, rats, chipmunks,mice, and rabbits usually will not be treated with rabies vaccination. However, your child's doc-tor may consult the local public-health authority for specific advice. On the other hand, skunks,raccoons, opossums, bats, and all wild carnivores should always be considered potentially rabid(rabies carrying) and should never be touched, even in a park or other setting where they are ac-customed to receiving food from human hands. A bite from one of these animals - especially ifthe animal was not provoked or defending itself - is more likely to rinse concerns about rabies.

Bites from domestic animals (dogs, cats, etc.) are more common but rarely cause rabies. Ifsomeone is bitten by a domestic animal, treat the wound as described above. The animal will usu-ally be available for observation, and public-health officials may quarantine it for ten to fourteendays. If the animal appears normal at the end of the quarantine, no rabies vaccination is required.But if the animal becomes ill, it will be promptly sacrificed and its brain examined microscopicallyfor rabies. Rabies treatment and vaccination should be started as soon as a quarantined animal isfound to be ill, and not delayed while awaiting results of the brain examination.

When purchased from pet stores, mice, rats, gerbils, and hamsters are not known totransmit rabies.

Wild animals that have been raised as pets - such as raccoons, skunks, foxes, wolves, fer-rets, and small wildcats can carry rabies even if they have appeared healthy in captivity forlong periods. This is particularly true of skunks, which have had rabies virus isolated fromtheir saliva even when born in captivity.

PREVENTING DOG BITES

• Before you get a dog, consider the breed and gender. Female dogs and neutered malesare less likely to bite than non-neutered males. Some breeds of dogs are more aggressivethan others.

• Teach children how to treat a dog properly. Prodding, poking, and tail pulling mayprovoke a bite even from the most mild-mannered canine. This also can occur if asleeping dog is jolted awake by a child or if a child tries to play with a dog who iseating. If you have one or more active toddlers who might not understand these groundrules, you might consider waiting until they are more mature before getting a dog.

HUMAN BITES

These bites commonly become infected because they are likely to be heavily contaminatedby bacteria, which are abundant in saliva. In addition, the victim may be reluctant to seekmedical help because of legal concerns or embarrassment.

Treatment for a human bite is the same as that outlined for animal bites. Human bite wounds are rarely sutured because of the contaminationrisk noted above. These wounds should be vigorously irrigated and then leftopen. Antibiotics are usually required for all but the most minor wounds.

TICK BITES

While tick bites are generally insignificant in and of themselves,some ticks transmit infections that can be serious, including Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever (see RockyMountain spotted fever, Reference). Generally, most tick-bornediseases are transmitted only after the tick has remained at-tached to the skin for many hours. Forexample, transmission of Lyme disease is unusual if the tick re-mains attached less than 24 to 48 hours.

Another, less common tick-borne illness is tick paralysis, which usually afflicts children. Weakness and paralysis begin inthe legs and progress upward with increasing severity as long asthe tick is attached. Eventually difficulty with speech and swal-lowing and respiratory problems occur; rarely, death may result.Tick removal reverses this disorder.

MARINE ANIMAL

STINGRAYS STINGS

A jagged wound that is immediately and intensely painful; the worst pain occurs after about an hour and then gradually subsides over aperiod of up to two days.

Treatment Stingray venom breaks down when warm but is stable and persistent when cool. First aid consists of applying hot water from the faucet - ashot as one can tolerate without causing a burn - to the affected area.This will promptly decrease the pain, but discomfort will recur as soon as the area(generally the leg or foot) is allowed tocool. Frequent heat application is necessaryfor a day or two to control the pain.

Infection may occur if the venom andbarb fragments (or the entire spine) remainin the wound. Usually these are removed byirrigating with hot water, and most woundsdo not become infected. A tetanus boosteris recommended if none has been givenduring the previous five years.

PREVENTION

Stingrays partially submerge themselves in sandy shallow water in sheltered bays, lagoons,and river mouths. The animal's whiplike tail has several (one to four) barbs (spines) that arecovered with a mucous venom. The tail reflexively whips upward when the ray is touched.

To prevent being stung, bathers should shuffle (not step) when walking in shallow water. This disturbs the stingray, and it will flee before one has a chance to step on it.

JELLYFISH AND FIRE CORAL

These two marine animals have a tiny venom-containing capsule (nematocyst) on the outer surface of their tentacles ornear the mouth. Contact with a swimmer causes the capsuleto penetrate the skin and diffuse venom into it. The attached capsule can discharge repeatedly when it's exposed to water.

The nematocyst sting is generally quite painful but rarely causes serious medical problems. However, a person who is stung multiple times may develop symptoms such as vomiting, extreme weakness, bloody urine,or fainting.

For treatment of a severe reaction resulting from multiple stings, go to an emergency facility for prompt medical attention.

Less severe stings can be managed at home. The best way to neutralize the nematocysts is to apply liberal amounts of vinegar for 30 minutes. Large tentacles should be removed using gloves. Remaining nematocyst scan be removed by applying shaving foam and gently shaving the area.

STARFISH

Starfish have thorny spines that are coated with a slimy venom.When the spines penetrate a victim's skin, the venom seeps intothe wound.

Immediate, intense burning pain at the wound site; the venom rarely causes a moreserious reaction.

As with stingray venom, heat will hasten pain resolution.

SEA URCHINS

These creatures have venom-bearing spines that are long, sharp, andbrittle and can break off in the skin. Purple pigment from the spinecan leach into skin and appear to be a retained spine fragment.

There is Intense burning pain where the skin has been penetrated.

If a spine fragment remains in the skin, it should be removed by a physician, because unnecessary pain and further tissue damage can result from attempts to take it out without adequate local anesthetic.

Immersion in hot water will decrease pain, as previously described forstingrays and starfish. X-rays may be needed to determine whether anyspine fragments remain in the skin. Antibiotics and a tetanus boosterwill be given if necessary.

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