Yf. Chang et al., DOG-BITE INCIDENCE IN THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH - A CAPTURE-RECAPTURE APPROACH, American journal of public health, 87(10), 1997, pp. 1703-1705
Objectives. The purpose of this study was to estimate the number of do
g bite injuries occurring in the city of Pittsburgh in 1993. Methods.
The capture-recapture method was used, along with log-linear modeling.
Three sources were Used to identify victims: hospital reports, animal
:control reports, and police/victim reports. Results, In 1993, 790 dog
bites were reported. The capture-recapture method estimated that ther
e were 1388 unreported dog bites, with an estimated incidence rate of
58.9 per 10 000. Conclusions. Dog bite is a common but preventable inj
ury. To improve surveillance,. the focus should be on educating the ge
neral public about the serious consequences of dog bite injuries.