Serious Rodent Bites to an 8-Month-Old Infant Due to Child Neglect

Abstract

Animal bites are among the top causes of preventable traumatic injuries. We describe the case of an 8-month-old female infant who was brought to the emergency department by her grandfather with serious rodent bites on her eyes, nose, right cheek, upper right extremity, and other smaller bites all over her body. This case is another proof of child neglect, or a possible infanticide attempt, as the motives of leaving the child in a hut without proper care, are not cleared up to this date. Rodent bites could be associated with Streptobacillus moniliformis infection and rat-bite fever. If the bites are left untreated for hours, the infant may suffer from hypovolemic shock due to bleeding, a possible fatal situation. The emergency surgical treatment of wounds is of vital importance.