Beyond Rabies: Three Infections You Can Get From A New Haven Dog Bite Injury

When you think about experiencing a New Haven dog bite injury one of the first things you might be concerned about is whether or not you are going to get a rabies infection. This is understandable because it is one of the most common and talked about infections that exists when thinking about interactions with animals, but rabies is far from the only infection you might experience if you are bitten by a dog. In fact, there are quite a few infections you could get from a dog bite and you should be aware of the three most common.

When you get bitten by a dog you can become infected if the dog introduces certain bacteria into the wound. This can happen when the dog breaks your skin and gets his teeth deep into the wound to transfer the bacteria to your body. A wound can then become red and infected which can have serious health implications if you don’t get seen by a medical professional and have the wound cleaned and treated. In some cases, serious wounds can lead to other more permanent situations like amputation of a limb that has been affected.

In most cases, superficial wounds may occur, but even superficial wounds need to be diagnosed and investigated by a medical professional who can give a clear assessment of how to treat the wound and whether or not it has led to an infection. While not all dog bites lead to infected wounds, some do and it is important that no matter how serious or not serious you think the wound is that you can it looked at by a medical provider in a timely manner because if it is infected the sooner it is treated the sooner you will be healed and able to move on.

If you’ve been bitten by a dog and you do see a medical provider you may expect to hear rabies as the first concern. While rabies is a concern, it is far from the only concern that comes with a dog bite and possible infections. Some of the other concerning infections include the following;

1.) Pasteurella Multocida: A mouthful of an infection for sure, but this infection is quite commonly transferred in a dog bite incident. Symptoms that are common with Pasteurella Multocida include things like swelling, joint pain, redness and puss around the wound. It is important to get this infection treated expeditiously because it is possible that if left untreated it could spread to joints, bones and even your bloodstream which could become quite severe.

2.) Staph Infection: In the medical community a staph infection is better known as Staphylococcus Aureus. This infection is another common one that may occur when you get bitten by a dog. This type of bacteria can cause skin and soft tissue infections leading to symptoms like redness, pus-filled boils, blisters and swelling.

3.) Strep Infection: You may only consider a strep infection when you’re thinking of strep throat, but the truth is that you can be infected by Streptococcus after being bitten by a dog. This infection can cause skin irritation and similar symptoms to a staph infection. It should be treated as soon as it is discovered by a medical provider to prevent it from spreading.

When a New Haven dog bite injury occurs it can be quite startling and cause serious physical and emotional harm. If you are seen by a medical professional as soon as you are able to, you will take one big step towards getting the physical harm handled and to not allowing the infections to run rampant through your body. The emotional toll that a bite takes on you and your mental health is harder to measure and depending on the severity of the bite can be long-lasting and quite traumatizing leading to some people having a fear of dogs.

Whatever your situation is you can always contact our office where one of our experienced attorneys will review your situation. We have spent years working on similar situations and can help you navigate the sometimes complex legal situation you may be finding yourself in. Let us help. Contact our office so we can guide you in protecting your long-term interests.