Re: Septic bites (again)

["Michael Teuton" <tons@logicsouth.com>]

Septic bites occur from many animals.  Cats carry Pasturella m. which causes
severe swelling, rapidly at times.  Dogs have reasonably clean bites.  Many
animals carry rabies as we know.  Although this is not a septic bite, the
same message of transmission of disease is there.

Snake bites must be treated with antibiotics as well as anti-venom.  They
carry large numbers of gram negative and anaerobic bacteria including
Clostridia which can lead to sepsis, tetanus, and gangrene in addition to
the venom effects.  You can subtract out the venom effects from non-venomous
and dry bites.  Turtle bites are much the same including careful
debridement.  Many bites and stings cause problems by breaking the
integument barrier and the normal nasty critters on our bodies (mostly strep
and staph) cause secondary infections.

So any nasty bite can cause problems, especially in an era providing no
antibiotic therapy. :)  Obviously, this did not answer questions about
citations but hopefully shed some lite to some of the list members.

Michael Teuton
-----Original Message-----
From: gmbra@cygnus.uwa.edu.au <gmbra@cygnus.uwa.edu.au>
To: dinosaur@usc.edu <dinosaur@usc.edu>
Cc: dtanke@dns.magtech.ab.ca <dtanke@dns.magtech.ab.ca>
Date: Friday, November 13, 1998 5:03 AM
Subject: Septic bites (again)


>In answer to Darren Tanke's request for citations regarding one of the
>septic bite references, and to pass on to anyone else who might be
>interested the answer I sent to Darren Naish on the same subject, here is
>the lowdown on the Dino News reference. It was in Dino News No 12, July
>1998, p 18-20. <large snip>