Should I do anything about a monkey bite that didn't break the skin?!
Question: Should I do anything about a monkey bite that didn't break the skin!?
I was visiting Mount Emei near Chengdu, Sichuan Provence in China this morning near the enclosure for Tibetan Macaques!. When I was trying to take a picture near the fence, one of the monkey's began yanking on my back pack!. I thought it was a person pulling on me and, without looking, reached behind to grip my bag!. The next thing I knew a monkey was clutching my arm tightly and about 5 seconds later he bit me!.
I was wearing a long sleeved fleece at the time and while some skin was scraped away, it doesn't look like the teeth ever touched my skin!. But there IS some raw skin (though no blood)!. My concern is if some of the saliva some how got through the cloth and maybe minute amounts seeped into my raw epidermis!. Tibetan Macaques are known to have Herpes B which is (VERY rarely) transmitted to humans, resulting in fatalities!. It says up to 90 percent of male macaques are infected with the virus, which is harmless to them but fatal to humans!. There's no known cure for it!.
I'm living in a small Chinese town for the next 8 months and my vacation officially ended today!. Should I skip work and go to Shanghai to have my bite checked out!? I'm POSITIVE the teeth didn't touch my skin directly, but some of my skin IS slightly broken (the bruise is pretty painful)!. What say you!?Www@Answer-Health@Com
I was wearing a long sleeved fleece at the time and while some skin was scraped away, it doesn't look like the teeth ever touched my skin!. But there IS some raw skin (though no blood)!. My concern is if some of the saliva some how got through the cloth and maybe minute amounts seeped into my raw epidermis!. Tibetan Macaques are known to have Herpes B which is (VERY rarely) transmitted to humans, resulting in fatalities!. It says up to 90 percent of male macaques are infected with the virus, which is harmless to them but fatal to humans!. There's no known cure for it!.
I'm living in a small Chinese town for the next 8 months and my vacation officially ended today!. Should I skip work and go to Shanghai to have my bite checked out!? I'm POSITIVE the teeth didn't touch my skin directly, but some of my skin IS slightly broken (the bruise is pretty painful)!. What say you!?Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
Treat as if bitten!. I doubt if the medical services in the Sichuan Provence are particularly good!. Shanghai sounds good!.
As a start I would use a cotton bud (or 2) to take a swab of the raw area and keep in some sort of vial, just in case of further reaction!.
I would also certainly disinfect the clothing and the suspect area asap!. Www@Answer-Health@Com
As a start I would use a cotton bud (or 2) to take a swab of the raw area and keep in some sort of vial, just in case of further reaction!.
I would also certainly disinfect the clothing and the suspect area asap!. Www@Answer-Health@Com
Don't take any chances!. Get it checked out!. That will be a worry(like the monkey) off your back!.
That sounds like an awesome trip! sorry for the mishap!.
Good luck, I'm sure you'll be fine!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
That sounds like an awesome trip! sorry for the mishap!.
Good luck, I'm sure you'll be fine!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Get it checked!. Better safe than sorry!.Www@Answer-Health@Com