Pharmacy Daily | Dispensary Corner 23 Jun 23

AIR pollution can have more consequences than just exacerbating asthma, according to a new study from the Harvard Medical School in the USA.

The observational research has found that dog bites may also be more common when there are higher levels of airborne particulates, after analysing data on attacks in eight US cities between 2009 and 2018.

They also looked at weather conditions and found days when it was warmer also appeared to be more likely to exacerbate canine tempers, with bites occurring up to 11% more frequently in sunny weather.

The Scientific Reports journal also reported a slight decrease (1%) in bites on days with high rainfall, after analysing the information on Dallas, Houston, Baltimore, Baton Rouge, Chicago, Louisville, Los Angeles and New York City.

Collectively the reports noted almost 70,000 dog bites, an average of three bites per day in total across the cities.

The researchers noted that other studies have found higher temperatures increase the likelihood of aggression among humans, rhesus monkeys, rats and mice.

"We conclude that dogs, or the interactions between humans and dogs, are more hostile on hot, sunny and smoggy days, indicating that the societal burden of extreme heat and air pollution also includes the costs of animal aggression," the study's authors wrote.