NYC Biting Injuries

U.S. Shark Injuries vs. Bite Injuries in NYC

A Comparison with the Number of Biting Injuries Occurring Annually in New York City

Biting Injury	1981	1984	1985	1986	1987
Dog bites human	12,656	10,593	9,809	8,870	8,064
Human bites human	*	1,589	1,591	1,572	1,587
Cat bites human	826	*	879	*	802
Wild rat bites human	60	*	311	*	291
Squirrel bites human	81	*	*	*	95
Hamster bites human	52	*	*	*	*
Rabbit bites human	37	*	*	*	*
Raccoon bites human	18	*	*	*	11
Horse bites human	18	*	*	*	*
Gerbil bites human	17	*	12	*	*
Lab rat bites human	15	*	9	*	*
Monkey bites human	11	*	*	*	*
Snake bites human	8	*	4	*	*
Bat bites human	7	*	4	*	*
Ferret bites human	5	*	5	*	7
Guinea pig bites human	5	*	*	*	*
Parrots bite human	5	*	6	*	*
Blue Jay bites human	2	*	*	*	*
Spider bites human	*	*	2	*	*
Skunk bites human	1	*	*	*	3
Parakeet bites human	1	*	*	*	*
Opossum bites human	1	*	*	*	*
Sea lion bites human	1	*	*	*	*
Lion bites human	1	*	*	*	*
Ocelot bites human	1	*	*	*	*
Lion fish stabs human	1	*	*	*	*
Shark injuries in U.S.A.	12	14	12	6	13

* Information not available.

Source of New York City biting injury data: New York City Health Department statistics quoted by U.P.I. (1982), A.P. (1986) and Newsday (1988)

Source of shark attack data: International Shark Attack File, 3 February 1998.