Dog and cat bites: epidemiologic analyses suggest different prevention strategies.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the characteristics of reported dog and cat bite incidents in El Paso, Texas, and their implications for local bite prevention programs.


METHODS
The authors reviewed a random sample of reported dog bites and all reported cat bites in El Paso, Texas, in 1995 using existing animal control surveillance data.


RESULTS
The majority of cat bites (89.4%) were provoked, with females (57.5%) and adults (68.3%) more likely to be victims than males or children. In contrast, just under half of dog bites (44.6%) were provoked, with males (65.6%) and children (63%) more likely to be victims than females or adults. Dogs that had not been vaccinated for rabies were involved in 65% of dog bites and cats that had not been vaccinated for rabies were involved in 92% of cat bites.


CONCLUSIONS
Effective bite prevention programs should address the finding that both restrained and unrestrained dogs may bite even when unprovoked and that unrestrained cats usually bite when provoked.
Patrick
G R
GR
Veterinary Services, El Paso City-County Health and Environmental District, TX, USA.
O'Rourke
K M
KM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001733:Bites and Stings / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002415:Cats; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011897:Random Allocation; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data