Bites (Human and Animal)—Child Care and Schools
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Created in
infectious_diseases
Biting is very common among young children but usually does not lead to serious infectious disease issues. If the skin is broken, bacteria introduced into the wound can cause a tissue infection that needs to be treated by a health professional. If blood is drawn into the mouth of the biter or if the biter breaks the skin and has bleeding gums or mouth sores, blood-borne disease could be a concern. Hepatitis B virus, HIV, and hepatitis C virus are examples of blood-borne disease-causing germs. The risk of transmission of these viruses, however, is very low in child care and school settings. For HIV, no known transmission in a child care setting or school has occurred.