Bacteriology of human and animal bite wounds.
Seventy-three patients with bite wounds (16 patients with clenched-fist injuries, 18 with human bite wounds, and 39 with animal bites) were cultured aerobically and anaerobically. A total of 33 of 34 patients with human bites and clenched-fist injuries and 33 of 39 patients with animal bites had aerobic or facultative bacteria isolated from their wounds. A total of 224 strains of aerobic or facultative bacteria were isolated, the most frequent isolate being alpha-hemolytic streptococci (50 strains). Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from 18 wounds. Penicillin-resistant gram-negative rods were infrequently isolated (12 strains). Anaerobic bacteria were isolated in 18 of 34 human bite wounds and clenched-fist injuries and 16 of 39 animal bite wounds. A total of 88 anaerobic strains was isolated, the most common being various Bacteroides species (36 strains).
D000332:Aerobiosis; D000693:Anaerobiosis; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology; D001733:Bites and Stings / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D001734:Bites, Human / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D013045:Species Specificity