Endocarditis due to Staphylococcus aureus after minor dog bite.

Living in a society of animal lovers, the dangers are often not always apparent. Injury from bites and scratches is an occupational hazard for those people who work with animals. Despite the high risk of secondary wound infection as a result of an animal bite, many patients do not receive treatment with an antimicrobial medication. This report describes a case of a previously fit and well 66-year-old female dog handler who, after an apparently minor dog bite to the hand, developed fulminant acute Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis and life-threatening aortic regurgitation. This article discusses the microbiology behind dog bites and highlights the need for proper wound hygiene and consideration of prophylactic broad-spectrum antibiotics to prevent potentially fatal outcomes as a result of what initially seem to be minor injuries.