18th July 2023

Oral Flora

The healthy oral cavity is polymicrobial and home to aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. As such, human bites resulting in skin and soft tissue infection are often polymicrobial in origin. This requires treatment with a broad-spectrum antibiotic such as co-amoxiclav. Transmission of blood-borne viruses such as HIV, hepatitis B and C can also occur if there has been blood exposure from a human bite.

Cat and dog bites, on the other hand, often isolate Pasteurella species. Infected cats may result in infection with Bartonella henselae, which causes ‘cat-scratch disease’ – a disease characterised by localised, painful lymphadenopathy.