Aerobic bacterial flora of oral and nasal fluids of canines with reference to bacteria associated with bites.

Oral and nasal fluids of 50 dogs were examined to determine the prevalence of aerobic bacteria frequently associated with animal bite wounds. The most frequently isolated microorganisms included: IIj, EF-4, Pasteurella multocida, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, group D streptococci, Corynebacterium sp., Enterobacteria, Neisseria sp., Moraxella sp., and Bacillus sp. Other species and genera were infrequently recovered and may represent transient flora. The high incidence of IIj, EF-4, P. multocida, and S. aureus, all known human pathogens, suggests that they should be considered as probably contaminants in bite wounds.