Get Case 31-2010: A 29-Year-Old Woman With Fever After A Cat Bite

Some cat bite statistics are as follows: There are an estimated 400,000 cat bites each year; An estimated 66,000 hospital emergency visits each year are due to cat bites; and. In 2009, there were 81 rabies cases from dogs, but 300 rabies cases from cats.

If the wound is infected on presentation, a course of 10 days or longer is recommended. The first-line oral therapy is -clavulanate. For higher-risk infections, a first dose of antibiotic may be given intravenously (ie, -sulbactam, ticarcillin-clavulanate, -tazobactam, or a carbapenem).

An infection from a cat bite may set in within a few hours, but it can take 10 days or more for some infections, like cat-scratch disease, to start showing symptoms. The CDC says that the incubation period for rabies (time between exposure and the appearance of symptoms) can be weeks to months.

Some infections can progress very quickly, result in sepsis, and lead to death within 24 to 72 hours after symptoms start. If you have been bitten by a dog or cat, wash the bite area right away with soap and water, and call your doctor, even if you don't feel sick.

They can get antibiotics and have their bites properly cleaned to keep the infection at bay. Some of the more popular antibiotics given for animal bites include: . , Especially If the Doctor Suspects MRSA, a Form of Staph Infection.

Conclusions: Cat bite injuries to the hand can progress to serious infection. The treatment of such infections often requires hospitalization, intravenous antibiotic therapy, and operative treatment.

Cat scratch disease (CSD) is a bacterial infection spread by cats. The disease spreads when an infected cat licks a person's open wound, or bites or scratches a person hard enough to break the surface of the skin.

You should see a physician as soon as possible. Most cat bite wounds are small punctures that drive pathogenic bacteria deep into the skin. Left untreated, a serious infection can develop within twenty-four to forty-eight hours.