Every year, in both the United States and Europe, just about 1% of all emergency room visits are the result of a dog or cat bite.  That percentage may seem small but a new report in the journal, Lancet Infectious Diseases, says these animal bites can lead to dangerous MRSA infections.

Before kicking the dog and ousting the cat, an expert on the subject says the drug-resistant infection is more likely to come from the bitten human him- or herself than from the family pet.  The United Kingdom’s Professor Mark Enright says many humans have methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacterium on their skin but experience no ill effects until something breaks the skin and allows the bacterium to make its way into the bitten person’s body.

According to Dr.Richard Oehler, leader of the University of South Florida research team that published the Lancet report, pets that carry the MRSA bacterium probably got the bug from their human companions; it is uncommon in domestic animals.  Community-acquired MRSA is becoming more prevalent, especially in the United States, a factor that is probably influencing the rising number of MRSA infections associated with animal bites.

Animal bites, in general, affect people in these ways:

• Dog bites comprise about 60% of all those reported.
• 10% to 20% are from cats.
• Boys between 5 and 9 years of age are most likely to be bitten by a dog.
• Children are often bitten on their heads, necks, and faces, thanks to the child’s height.
• Women and the elderly are more likely to be bitten by a cat.
• Cat bites cause deeper puncture wounds than dog bites do.
• These deeper puncture wounds increase the risk of developing infection and abscesses.
• Only about 20% of all bite cases develop severe infections.
• These severe infections come from bacteria on the person’s skin and from the animal’s mouth.
• Sepsis, a life-threatening form of infection, can develop if bite wounds aren’t properly treated.

Even though MRSA infection has been rare in domestic animals, more and more of them are developing MRSA-related infections of the skin, which can then be passed on, or back to, the people in their lives.  Enright describes the situation as a “marginal problem” and Oehler urges doctors to continue promoting the merits of “loving pet ownership” but to be aware that infection can spread between pets and their people.  He suggests doctors be mindful of pet history when treating a bitten human and to employ simple precautions, including education and recognition.