Animal attacks are a common cause of either human fatalities or injuries. The frequency of animal attacks varies with geographical location. In the United States, a person is more likely to be killed by an animal than they are to die from being hit by lightning.[1] <br />Animal attacks have been identified as a major public health problem. In 1997 it was estimated that up to 2 million animal bites occur each year in the United States. Injuries caused by animal attacks result in thousands of fatalities worldwide every year.[2] All causes of death are reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention each year. Medical injury codes are used to identify specific cases.[3] The World Health Organization uses identical coding, though it is unclear whether all countries keep track of fatalities caused by animals