Rat bite in the neonate

Abstract

Animal (dog, cat, and rodent) bite injuries in neonates are common in developing countries, especially when the mother leaves the baby at the side of the field in which she is working. A wide spectrum of rat-bite injuries is described in the literature. Disease following the bite of a rat has been known for many years and has been described as rat-bite fever. We report a case of a 17-day-old female neonate who presented with a severe rat-bite injury to the face, with consequent problems in management.