Doctors are seeing a surge in dog bite incidents on children amid the coronavirus pandemic.
As families are confined within their residence for months since the stay-at-home orders began in March, an increasing number of children are brought for pediatric emergencies.
In a commentary article published in the Journal of Pediatrics, attending physicians at Children's Hospital Colorado (Children's Colorado) and University of Colorado School of Medicine faculty, Doctors Cinnamon Dixon, DO, MPH/MSPH and Rakesh Mistry, MD/MS, shared about the increasing rates of dog bites during the lockdown and even after the movement restrictions were eased.
According to Fox News, Dr. Dixon said that while the number of dog bites is expected to increase during spring and summer," the dog bite rates this year "have been startling." In Children's Colorado, the dog bite cases in spring 2020 nearly tripled than last year's data at the same time, but Dr. Dixon believes these findings are also happening beyond Colorado or Children's Colorado, which is one of the largest pediatric healthcare systems in the U.S.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, children between five and nine years old are at most risk of dog bites, which are usually either by their family dog or a dog they know. Also, infants and children have a greater risk of getting bitten on the neck and head while children and adolescents take up over 40% of dog bite cases.
Why dogs bite and what to do to prevent it
"Dogs can be amazing companions and enrich our lives in so many ways," Dr. Dixon wrote in a press statement. She noted that "any dog can bite" at a certain circumstance, so it is vital to supervise children and infants who are near a dog at all times.
However, the lockdown has affected around 82 million children in the U.S. as well as 77 million pet dogs as they cannot go out for a walk while their owners are locked at home. The study authors listed the factors that may have contributed to the increased rates of dog bites:
- Increased contact between the child and the dog
- Amplified dog stress following the intensified stress in the household
- Reduced guidance on children and dogs as adults manage increased home duties
To prevent dogs from snapping, dog owners are encouraged to ensure their dogs get the proper diet and veterinary care. They are also advised to train the dogs properly whiles teaching them to socialize with other dogs and humans.
Meanwhile, parents are advised to educate their children to avoid running from a dog as well as disturbing the dog while it is sleeping, eating, or taking care of puppies. Also, they should teach children not to reach a dog through a fence.
City dwellers are more prone to dog bite
Meanwhile, the University of Guelph researchers teamed up with the Ontario Veterinary College to survey more than 2,000 people across different areas in Canada to assess the disparity between urban and rural communities, as reported by CTV News.
One of the researchers, epidemiology student Danielle Julien said the study looked at the numbers of dogs, dog ownership dynamics, and human exposure to dog bites, which are important in creating better measures for dog bite prevention.
The study found that only 6% of households in rural areas had an incident of a dog bite in 2019, which is nearly half of urban households at 11%. More than three-quarters of the dogs that bit were unleashed while about 17% of them do not have an anti-rabies vaccine.
Meanwhile, almost 60% of the dog bites happened while the victim was playing with or interacting with the dog.
