Animal bites represent a significant global health problem and account for 
approximately 1-2% of all visits to the emergency department. The vast majority 
of animal bite injuries are inflicted by dogs (80-90%,) and cats (5-15%). The 
most common complication following an animal bite is a wound infection, which 
tends to be polymicrobial and include both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria mainly 
of oropharyngeal origin. The likelihood of a cat bite becoming infected is 
double of that of a dog bite. Pasteurella spp. predominates in infected dog and 
cat bites. Dog bite injuries can be also associated with Capnocytophaga 
canimorsus, an aggressive organism which can cause disseminated infections 
(sepsis) and death, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. Early 
aggressive local wound cleansing is the most important therapy to prevent 
infection after animal bites. Due to the polymicrobial etiology of infected bite 
wounds, broad-spectrum antibiotics, covering both aerobic and anerobic bacteria, 
are often recommended as empiric treatment of animal bites.