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A comparison of human and animal mouth flora
Abstract:
Human bite injuries are often believed to be more serious than animal bite injuries. One reason for this distinction might be a species difference in the microbial mouth flora. In order to compare this possibility, we cultured the mouths of humans, dogs, and cats. Human oral flora contained the smallest number of bacteria followed by dog and cat oral flora, respectively. Veillonella parvula was cultured from all humans and was also found in dog and cat mouths, but less frequently. V parvula is not usually considered a virulent organism but occasionally may become a pathogen and should not be overlooked especially following human bite injury.
Insights
Human mouths have fewer bacteria than dogs or cats. Veillonella parvula, found in all humans, may cause infections from human bite injuries.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Oral Health
- Comparative Medicine
Background:
- Human bite injuries are perceived as more severe than animal bites.
- Differences in oral microbial flora between species may explain this severity disparity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the oral microbial flora of humans, dogs, and cats.
- To investigate the prevalence of Veillonella parvula in different species' oral cavities.
Main Methods:
- Culturing of oral flora from human, dog, and cat subjects.
- Comparative analysis of bacterial counts and identification of specific species, including Veillonella parvula.
Main Results:
- Human oral flora exhibited the lowest bacterial counts, followed by dogs, then cats.
- Veillonella parvula was consistently cultured from humans and less frequently from dogs and cats.
- Veillonella parvula, though not typically virulent, was identified in all human samples.
Conclusions:
- Species-specific differences in oral microbial load exist.
- Veillonella parvula, present in human oral flora, can act as an opportunistic pathogen in human bite injuries.
- The presence of Veillonella parvula warrants consideration in the management of human bite wounds.