Toddler Mauled to Death by Dog in Maryland

A 2-year-old boy has died in Maryland after he was mauled by a dog at the home of a relative in Brunswick, Frederick County, on Tuesday, police said in a statement.

The Brunswick Police Department and the Frederick County Division of Fire & Rescue Services received an emergency call just after 5 p.m. on Tuesday. When officers arrived at the scene, they found that the child had sustained severe injuries as a result of the dog attack. Officers tried to treat the child but he went into cardiac arrest, police said.

The 2-year-old was subsequently rushed to Frederick Health Hospital via medevac but was pronounced dead at the scene.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) research suggests that more than 4 million people are bitten by dogs every year in the U.S., while the American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that around one in five dog bites will require medical attention.

The victim and his family are residents of Fauquier County, Virginia, according to police. No further information about the boy has been released.

Police and Frederick County Animal Control have launched an investigation into the incident, and the dog has been placed in quarantine.

Frederick County Animal Control told Newsweek: "Currently the Division of Animal Control is conducting an active investigation into the incident. At this time, we will not comment on the incident until a thorough investigation has been completed and the information collected has been reviewed and evaluated."

A journalist with NBC4 Washington reported that the dog involved in the incident was a pit bull/mastiff mix but Newsweek has not yet been able to independently verify this information.

Fatalities resulting from dog attacks are very rare, with CDC data showing that between 1999 and 2020 an average of 33 deaths per year were caused by dog attacks in the United States. While adults are often the victims, children are more likely to be severely injured in such incidents.

Dog attacks can result in puncture, tearing and crush injuries from bites, while scratches can cause abrasions and lacerations.

Dog bites can also result in infections, which occurs in an estimated 3 percent to 18 percent of cases, according to a study published in the journal Wilderness & Environmental Medicine.

Worldwide, dog bites are the leading cause of rabies transmission to humans—a disease that is almost always fatal if prompt treatment is not administered.

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