[Animal bites. Study of 606 cases]

There is scarce information on animal bites in Spain. The objective of this study was to know the incidence, characteristics of the bitten persons, characteristics of biting animals, location of wounds and therapeutic behavior in our environment.

Descriptive study of patients who visited a rabies service after having been bitten by animals.

from March, 1st, 1995, to February, 29th, 1996. During the study period 606 patients were visited and 2,400 telephone consultations answered.

The incidence was 100 animal bites per 100,000 inhabitants/year. The male/female distribution of attended patients was 347/251 (47.3 vs 42.7%, respectively), a mean age of 32.5 +/- 21 years; 25% of cases were aged less than 15 years. The offending animals were: dogs 450 (74.3%), cats 97 (16%), rats 32 (5.3%), hamsters 16 (2.6%) and other animals 11 (1.8%). In 52.8% of cases the offending animals were owned by the bitten persons or domestic; in children 64.2% of cases were animals with these characteristics (p < 0.007); in this group of patients the rabies vaccination was correct in 61% of dogs and 40% of cats. The hand was the most frequent location of the wound, although face and neck locations were not uncommon in children (13.2%) compared with adults (4.4%) (p < 0.0002). The therapeutic behavior includes antitetanic prophylaxis in virtually all cases; antibiotic therapy was inappropriate in 44.4 of cases; a correct diversion towards the rabies service occurred in 42.4% of cases. The post-exposition rabies vaccine was administered in 218 patients, with a rate of 7.3/100,000 inhabitants/year.

In the Barcelona province area animal bites are relatively common; in general populations preventive measures and health education are required, particularly among domestic animal owners, as well as health care personnel on the proper behavior when faced with animal bites.