Blog-Wa, the Dog-Wa Blog

As many of you probably know, the risk of being bitten by a dog is greatest in the summer.  The risk is higher for children (particularly boys).  And about 27% of those bites come from family pets.

Researchers speculate that children may spend more time outdoors playing with dogs in warmer months. Or it may be that dogs are generally more irritable in hot weather.  (In American cities the murder rate also elevates in the summer, for pretty much the same reasons.  People are outdoors more, gathering together more, and the heat and humidity make many of us grouchy.)

So were were perturbed to see that US researchers are warning of the risk of staph infection from pet bites and scratches.

The staph infection in question is known as MRSA.  Staph infections, including MRSA, occur most frequently among persons in hospitals and healthcare facilities (such as nursing homes and dialysis centers) who have weakened immune systems.

MRSA stands for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

MRSA is a type of bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics. These antibiotics include methicillin and other more common antibiotics such as oxacillin, penicillin and amoxicillin.

MRSA infections that occur in otherwise healthy people who have not been recently hospitalized or had a medical procedure are known as community-associated (CA)-MRSA infections. These infections are usually skin infections, such as abscesses, boils, and other pus-filled lesions.  If untreated, blood poisoning (sepsis) can also result.

MRSA – Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus – is not a common strain of the bacteria in domestic animals, but it is being seen more and more.

Writing in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases, a team led by Dr. Richard Oehler, of the University of South Florida, said “As Community-Acquired strains of MRSA increase in prevalence, a growing body of clinical evidence has documented MRSA colonisation in domestic animals, often implying direct infection from their human owners.”

So MRSA outside the hospital setting can be passed back and forth between humans and pets.

Before you freak out, here are some handy facts:

Boys aged five to nine are most at risk of dog bites. Because of their height, children are usually bitten on the face, neck or head.

Cat bites are more common in women and the elderly. They usually cause deeper puncture wounds than dogs, and carry a higher risk of infection and soft-tissue abscesses.

Severe infections occur in about 20% of bite cases, and are caused by bacteria in the animal’s mouth, plus other infectious agents from the person’s skin.

Any MRSA infection acquired from pets is treated with medication, in the same way as other MRSA infections.

According to Dr. Oehler, “Clinicians must continue to promote loving pet ownership, take an adequate pet history, and be aware that associated diseases are preventable via recognition, education and simple precautions.”

Finally, infection from pet bites and scratches is very common, particularly in children.  So if your child, or a child you know, does get bitten or scratched this summer, watch the wound carefully.  If signs of infection appear, then it’s probably a good idea to seek medical treatment.

Here’s the ABC News story and here’s one from the New York Daily News.