The bite of a rat infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in laboratory conditions: An uncommon case

1.Department of pathological physiology of domestic animals, Veterinary faculty, University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. 2.Department of Pharmaceutical Informatics and Statistics, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. 3.Emergency medicine clinic, University Clinical center Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. 4.Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. 5.Clinic of infectious diseases, University Clinical center Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Muhamed Katica ORCID: 0000-0002-8184-0065, Alisa Smajović ORCID: 0000-0002-2494-6744, Nasreldin Hassan-Ahmed ORCID: 0000-0002-7219-5324, Behija Dukic ORGID: 0000-0001-7660-6496, Rusmir Baljić ORCID:0000-0002-2693-7307.

 <sup>*Muhamed Katica: muhamed.katica@vfs.unsa.ba

Received: 10.04.2019,  Accepted: 26.04.2019,  Available online: 30.04.2019</sup>

ABSTRACT

Bites of laboratory animals are treated as the bites of any other animals since the possibility of existence of pathogenic microorganisms, unfavorable for human health, in the rooms where these animals reside, is not excluded. A rare case of a laboratory rat bite, used for scientific research and previously infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, is presented here. The patient's wound was located on the forefinger of his hand and was 1 cm long and up to 0.2 cm deep. The antitetanus prophylaxis was administered in an ambulance, including antibiotic therapy with amoxicillin-clavulanate per os. There exists a need for checks and special guidelines for the handling and retention of laboratory animals. The patient has successfully remedied the wound, thanks to consistent antibiotic therapy and antitetanus prophylaxis, and possible inflammatory complications were prevented.

Keywords: Wound, Rattus Norvegicus, antibiotic therapy, anti-tetanic prophylaxis, bio-safety measures