Re: T rex bites your bum

[Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au>]

Phil Bigelow wrote:
> 
> I hope I'm not perpetuating another urban myth by stating this, but I've
> read that human bites often create more serious infections in people than
> do dog bites.

Dog saliva apparently contains natural antiseptic compounds (which is
why they will literally 'lick their wounds'). So it's not so much that
human mouths are so filthy, but that dog mouths are surprisingly clean
(despite using their own tongues as toilet paper!).

As far as septic bites in other animals go; cat bites often become
infected, and even cats themselves are not immune to their own oral
bacteria if injected subcutaneously. That tends to be true of many
bacterial species though. Some live on (or in) humans all of the time
with no ill effects, but may become a problem if they enter the
bloodstream via an open wound.

-- 
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Dann Pigdon
GIS / Archaeologist         http://www.geocities.com/dannsdinosaurs
Melbourne, Australia        http://heretichides.soffiles.com
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