While iguanas are known to be herbivorous lizards, one iguana in particular bit a little girl and even ran off with her cake. The bite left the little girl infected.
Iguana Bites Girl, Steals Cake, Leaves Girl Infected
According to the Daily Mail, last May, the Mars family was simply going on a holiday by the beaches of Costa Rica. Little did they know that their holiday would be ruined if this unexpected attack took place.
The three-year-old girl Lena was simply feasting on her cake when an iguana bit her in the hand and stole her cake.
CNN Health reports that iguanas are common creatures across Costa Rica. These herbivores are known to be harmless creatures that sun themselves underneath trees and feast on leaves and fruits. However, given the incident, the creature may have gotten a sweet tooth.
As per Gizmodo, after this incident, the girl was brought to the local clinic. There, her hand was disinfected, and she was issued an amoxicillin antibiotic to combat Salmonella bacteria, which reptiles usually carry.
Though the wound healed up, five months after the bite, a small bump started protruding over the bite location. It became more painful and bigger over the course of three succeeding months. Because of this, the family took the girl to Stanford Children's Health, where the mass was removed from the girl's hand.
Doctors also observed that there was a buildup of dead tissue and pus surrounding the wound. This typically indicates an infection.
After examining the pus, doctors discovered that the iguana bite led to a bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium marinum. Gizmodo notes that the rare infection lasted for a couple of months. The good thing was that it could be treated.
Doctors will be presenting this peculiar case during the yearly European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases. A special early release has made these details accessible to the public.
Mycobacterium Marinum Bacterial Infections
M. Marinum is part of the bacteria family that causes illnesses, such as leprosy and tuberculosis. The bacteria is known to cause fish illnesses that are similar to tuberculosis. It could also lead to skin infections in humans.
The majority of individuals who get infected get a rash that spreads to form a spherical pattern. CNN Health notes that it could become an ulcer or a pus-filled nodule.
While some infections can heal on their own, others may need medication or even surgery in serious cases.
Infections from this bacteria are typically due to contaminated water exposure. Given this, medics think that this is the first case where an iguana caused the bacterial infection.
Dr. Jordan Mah, a medical microbiology expert and the presentation's author, says that while a lot is known about infections due to other bacteria and bites from animals such as cats or dogs, not much is known about lizards and iguanas. Dr. Mah adds that, though he thinks this is not something people should be afraid of, doctors should acknowledge such possibilities.
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