Animal Bites / Injuries

Some of the pathogens transmitted by direct animal trauma include:

• Dogs and Cats: rabies; bacterial infections ( Capnocytophaga canimorsus, Pasteurella multocida and P. haemolytica, Staphylococcus aureus, streptococci, anaerobes, Moraxella, Corynebacterium, Neisseria, tetanus, tularemia).
• Cats: cat “scratch” fever ( Bartonella henselae, B. quintana); plague.
• Rodents (domestic): bacterial infection.
• Rodents (wild): rabies (from larger rodents such as beavers and groundhogs); bacterial infection (including tetanus and tularemia); rat bite fever – rare (Streptobacillus moniliformis, Spirillum minus).
• Wild Animals (terrestrial, non-rodent) e.g., skunk, fox, raccoon, opossum: rabies; numerous bacterial pathogens (including tetanus and tularemia).
• Bats: rabies.
• Primates (non-human): rabies; numerous bacterial pathogens (including tetanus); simian B herpesvirus (macaques or non-macaques housed with macaques); hepatitis A, B, and C (certain great apes). Note: Primate exposures generally also require assessment for potential aerosol transmission of tuberculosis.