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.

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