Lesson 4: BITES AND STINGS
ANIMAL BITES
WHAT TYPES OF ANIMALS CAN BITE?
Virtually every animal is capable of biting a human, and every animal is capable of transmitting disease through a bite. Whether or not an animal will bite depends on several different factors:
- The type of animal. Given a situation in which you’re faced by a tiger and a housecat, you’d be more likely to be bitten by the tiger.
- The situation. Out in the woods, you would be more likely to be bitten by a female bear defending her cubs than by a bear foraging for berries, although ANY wild animal has a greater potential for biting than domesticated animals such as dogs and cats. But even domesticated pets will bite if put in a situation in which the pet feels threatened. Some animals will bite strictly out of fear, as well. Even bites delivered while playing can be serious.
- Illness, such as Rabies (discussed below), may cause an animal to become overly aggressive and bite.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF AN ANIMAL BITE?
- A wound, large or small, accompanied by bleeding and pain. The wound may look like teeth marks or scratch marks.
- Bites delivered by healthy animals still have the potential to transmit bacteria, and cause infection. Infection symptoms appear a few days after the initial bite. An infected wound my have red streaks radiating out from the center of the wound and may be oozing a white pus or greenish drainage. Fever may occur in the presence of infection.
- A bite by an animal infected with Rabies may transmit the disease to humans. Rabies is a deadly viral disease that attacks the nervous system. Rabies is transmitted through the saliva of infected animals. This means that even scratches from an infected cat could transmit the virus, since cats lick their paws. In the US, skunks, raccoons, foxes, and bats are the primary carriers of Rabies. Once Rabies is within the body, there is no cure. However, there is a vaccine available that works even when administered after a bite.
Symptoms of Rabies occur anywhere from five days to over a year, but the average incubation period is about two months. Rabies symptoms occur in two stages:
- Stage One: Unspecific symptoms appear, seemingly attributable to any number of illnesses: fever, vomiting, fatigue, a decrease in appetite, and an overall feeling of illness. Stage One may last from two to ten days.
- Stage Two: Difficulty swallowing. This is what causes a fear of water in rabid animals, and even affected humans. Victims in Stage Two Rabies can become agitated and disoriented. Other victims may suffer from paralysis. This paralysis can result in immediate death. Coma is common, and death results from other complications (such as the shutting down of vital organs).
There are many other illnesses that can be transmitted by animal bites, so if you see any symptoms besides the normal symptoms of an uninfected wound, call your doctor.
FIRST AID for an animal bite wound is the same as for any other wound—wash thoroughly, control any bleeding, and keep an eye out for signs of infection.
HOW TO PREVENT ANIMAL BITES
- Don’t leave children unsupervised around any pets, even those you don’t think would bite.
- Choose carefully when deciding on a family pet. For instance, a dog with a reputation for aggressiveness would not be a good pet for a family with small children.
- Don’t get near wild animals of any kind.
- Keep the area around your home free of trash or any other material that may entice wild animals into the area.
- Don’t try to separate fighting animals.
- Be careful around all domesticated animals, especially the ones you are unfamiliar with.
- Avoid all animals that look sick.
- Call animal control for any stray animals in your neighborhood.
