Which genus is commonly involved in cat bite infections leading to abscesses?

Which genus is commonly involved in cat bite infections leading to abscesses?

• A. Pasteurella multocida
• B. Staphylococcus aureus
• C. Escherichia coli
• D. Streptococcus agalactiae

Answer: (A)

Infections from cat bites are driven by bacteria that live in the animals’ mouths. The genus most commonly linked to abscess formation after a cat bite is Pasteurella, specifically Pasteurella multocida. This organism is a normal inhabitant of feline oral flora and is well adapted to invade tissue once a bite punctures the skin, leading to rapid cellulitis and abscess development. In clinical bite-wounds, Pasteurella multocida is frequently isolated and is a hallmark organism for cat bite infections, which is why it is the best answer here. Staphylococcus aureus, while a common skin and wound pathogen in general, is not the organism most characteristically associated with cat bite infections. Escherichia coli is primarily a gut bacterium and does not represent the typical inoculum from a cat’s mouth, though it can appear as part of a polymicrobial infection. Streptococcus agalactiae (group B strep) is mainly linked to neonatal and human-associated infections, not to cat bite wounds.

Infections from cat bites are driven by bacteria that live in the animals’ mouths. The genus most commonly linked to abscess formation after a cat bite is Pasteurella, specifically Pasteurella multocida. This organism is a normal inhabitant of feline oral flora and is well adapted to invade tissue once a bite punctures the skin, leading to rapid cellulitis and abscess development. In clinical bite-wounds, Pasteurella multocida is frequently isolated and is a hallmark organism for cat bite infections, which is why it is the best answer here.

Staphylococcus aureus, while a common skin and wound pathogen in general, is not the organism most characteristically associated with cat bite infections. Escherichia coli is primarily a gut bacterium and does not represent the typical inoculum from a cat’s mouth, though it can appear as part of a polymicrobial infection. Streptococcus agalactiae (group B strep) is mainly linked to neonatal and human-associated infections, not to cat bite wounds.