The deleterious effects of dogs on human health: dog-associated injuries

As part of a general review of the epidemiology and control of human health hazards connected with dogs, data on incidence, risk factors and financial costs have been assembled for dog bites and dog-associated accidents. They suggest that about 214000 dog-associated injuries receive hospital treatment in England and Wales each year, of which bites account for over 97 per cent. However, dog bites probably cost less in financial terms than dog-associated road traffic accidents, because of the damage to property which the latter cause.