A consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon, Dr. AkanbiOlojede, says human bite could be potentially dangerous and should be treated with urgency to avoid life-threatening infection from microorganism or tetanus.

This is corroborated by experts at online health portal, Mayo Clinic; and scientists at the Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, USA.

Olojede noted that even if a bite victim had taken a tetanus injection before the incident, a booster injection should be administered to reduce the risk of tetanus infection.

Speaking in an interview with our correspondent, the consultant warned that there is no cure for tetanus, but that effort could only be made to manage complications that might arise until effects of the tetanus toxin wear off.

“If the booster injection is not taken, the human bite wound risks having superimposed infection due to the array of microorganisms present in saliva,” he stated.

Continuing, Olojede said, “Tetanus infection, which is also known as ‘lockjaw,’ can lead to painful muscle contractions, particularly of the jaw and neck muscles. It can cause respiratory distress that could lead to the bite victim’s death.

“Tetanus booster shot should be administered. Aside from cleaning the wound with strong antiseptic, and dressing it, the victim should be given antibiotics medication to protect against secondary infection by other bacteria.”

According to Mayo Clinic, human bites can be as dangerous as or even more dangerous than animal bites because of the types of bacteria and viruses contained in the human mouth. Human bites that break the skin can become infected, the portal adds.

It advised that a victim of human teeth bite should seek emergency medical care, adding, “If you haven’t had tetanus injection within five years, your doctor may recommend a booster. In this case, get the booster injection within 48 hours of the injury.”

Again, experts at Cleveland Clinic say that complications from a human bite can be very serious, including severe infection and permanently damaged bones, joints and/or tendons.

“It’s unlikely that a human bite will be fatal, especially if you seek out proper medical care, particularly around the infection,” the clinic counsels.

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According to Wounds, a peer-reviewed journal focusing on wound care and wound research, human bites are the third most common bite wound diagnosed in emergency departments, after dog and cat bites.

It noted that management of human bite can be challenging, given the high risk of infection associated with multi-organism-rich oral flora.

Recognition and early aggressive treatment are essential steps in preventing infections and other associated complications, the journalemphasised.

Also, Medscape, a website providing access to medical information for clinicians, states that approximately 10-15 percent of human bite wounds become infected owing to multiple factors.

“The bacterial inoculum of human bite wounds contains as many as 100 million organisms per milliliter and is made up of as many as 190 different species. Many of these are anaerobes that flourish in the low redox environment of tartar that lies between human teeth or in areas of gingivitis.”

The portal notes that most injuries due to human bites involve the hands. “Hand wounds, regardless of the etiology, have a higher rate of infection than do those in other locations,” it stated; noting that infections associated with human bites are often far advanced by the time they receive appropriate care.

“Patients often wait until infection is well established before seeking medical treatment,” the portal laments.