NCIPC Bibliography of Articles on Dog Bites
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Dog Bite Prevention Navigation
- Prevention Week
- Publications
- AVMA Task Force on Canine Aggression
and Human-Canine Interactions.
A
community approach to dog bite prevention.* JAVMA 2001; 218:
1732-1749. This 2001 report, intended for communities interested
in developing a comprehensive bite prevention program, includes model
legislation for the control of dangerous dogs.
- CDC. Nonfatal Dog Bite--Related Injuries Treated in Hospital Emergency Departments--United States, 2001.
MMWR 2003; 52(26):
605-610.
- CDC.
Dog-Bite-Related Fatalities - United States, 1995-1996. MMWR 1997;46:463-7.
Details are provided on the approximately 12 annual deaths from dog attacks. Data are provided on dog breeds involved in fatal attacks from 1979. Recommendations on reducing dog bites are included.
- Gershman KA, Sacks JJ, Wright JC. Which dogs bite? A case-control study of risk factors. Pediatrics
1994;93:913-7.
Biting and non-biting dogs in Denver are compared. Biting dogs were more likely to be male, unneutered, and chained.
- Quinlan KP, Sacks JJ. Hospitalizations for Dog Bite Injuries [letter] JAMA 1999; 281:232-233.
Data are provided on the 6,000 hospitalizations for dog bites in 1994, and medical care cost estimates are provided for medically treated dog bites.
- Sacks JJ, Sinclair L, Gilchrist J, Golab GC, Lockwood R. Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998. JAVMA 2000;217:836-840.
This article lists the breeds involved in fatal attacks over 20 years. It does not identify specific breeds that are most likely to bite or kill, and thus is not appropriate for policy-making decisions related to the topic. Each year, 4.7 million Americans are bitten by dogs. These bites result in approximately 16 fatalities; about 0.0002 percent of the total number of people bitten. These relatively few fatalities offer the only available information about breeds involved in dog bites. There is currently no accurate way to identify the number of dogs of a particular breed, and consequently no measure to determine which breeds are more likely to bite or kill.
Many practical alternatives to breed-specific policies exist and hold promise for preventing dog bites. For prevention ideas and model policies for control of dangerous dogs, please see the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Task Force on Canine Aggression and Human-Canine Interactions: A community approach to dog bite prevention.*
- Sacks JJ, Kresnow M, Houston B. Dog bites: how big a problem? Injury Prevention 1996;2:52-4.
Annually in the United States 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs. Of these, approximately 800,000 people require medical attention. That is, each year 1.8% of the U.S. population is bitten by a dog, and 0.3% of the U.S. population seeks medical care for a bite.
- Sacks JJ, Lockwood R,
Hornreich J, Sattin RW. Fatal dog attacks, 1989-1994. Pediatrics 1996;97:891-5.
Details are provided on the approximately 12 annual deaths from dog attacks and data are provided on dog breeds involved in fatal attacks.
- Sacks JJ, Sattin RW, Bonzo SE. Dog bite-related fatalities in the United States, 1979-1988. JAMA 1989;262:1489-92.
Provides details on the approximately 12 annual deaths from dog attacks and data on dog breeds involved in fatal attacks.
- Sosin DM, Sacks JJ, Sattin RW. Causes of non-fatal injuries in the United States, 1986. Accident Analysis and Prevention 1992; 24:685-687.
Data collected from the National Health Interview Survey estimated that there were 585,000 dog bites requiring medical attention in 1986. Dog bites were the 12th leading cause of non-fatal injuries for all age groups in the United States.
* Links to non-Federal organizations found at this site are provided solely as a service to our users. These links do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at these links.
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Page last modified:November 05, 2008