Dog bite injuries among American Indian and Alaska Native children. 2013

Adam Bjork, and Robert C Holman, and Laura S Callinan, and Thomas W Hennessy, and James E Cheek, and Jennifer H McQuiston
Epidemic Intelligence Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA. abjork@cdc.gov

OBJECTIVE To examine dog bites among American Indian (AI) and Alaska Native (AN) children visiting Indian Health Service and tribal health facilities. METHODS We retrospectively analyzed hospitalizations and outpatient visits with a diagnosis of dog bite between 2001 and 2008 in AI/AN children aged <20 years. Rates of dog bite hospitalizations and outpatient visits were estimated by age group, sex, region, and number and location of open wounds using Indian Health Service data. Analyses of hospitalizations for the general US population aged<20 years used the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. RESULTS The average annual dog bite hospitalization rate was higher among AI/AN children in Alaska (6.1/100,000 population) and the Southwest region (5.3/100,000) compared with the general US child population (3.1/100,000; 95% CI, 2.9-3.3/100,000). The average annual outpatient visit rate in AI/AN children was highest in the Alaska (596.4/100,000), Southwest (540.0/100,000), and Northern Plains West (537.6/100,000) regions. The hospitalization rate was highest in both AI/AN and US males aged<5 years, and outpatient visit rates were highest in AI/AN males aged 5-9 years. Open wounds diagnoses were most commonly seen on the head, neck, and face in hospitalized children (45.5% of open wounds in AI/AN children, 59.3% in US children; SE, 1.0%) and on the leg in AI/AN outpatients (35.6%). CONCLUSIONS Dog bites represent a significant public health threat in AI/AN children in the Alaska, the Southwest, and Northern Plains West regions of the US. Enhanced animal control and education efforts should reduce dog bite injuries and associated problems with pets and stray dogs, such as emerging infectious diseases.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007198 Indians, North American Members of indigenous North American populations with pre-colonial contact origins. Amerinds, North American,Indigenous North Americans,American Indian, North,American, Indigenous North,Amerind, North American,Indian, North American,Indigenous North American,North American Amerind,North American Amerinds,North American Indian,North American Indians,North American, Indigenous
D007223 Infant A child between 1 and 23 months of age. Infants
D008297 Male Males
D001733 Bites and Stings Injuries inflicted by the TEETH or poisoning caused by VENOMS of animals. Stings,Bites,Stings and Bites,Bite,Sting
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D002673 Child, Hospitalized Child hospitalized for short term care. Hospitalized Child,Children, Hospitalized,Hospitalized Children
D002675 Child, Preschool A child between the ages of 2 and 5. Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D004285 Dogs The domestic dog, Canis familiaris, comprising about 400 breeds, of the carnivore family CANIDAE. They are worldwide in distribution and live in association with people. (Walker's Mammals of the World, 5th ed, p1065) Canis familiaris,Dog
D005260 Female Females
D006760 Hospitalization The confinement of a patient in a hospital. Hospitalizations

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