Rats like living next to houses and barns.
Wild rats do not carry plague, and there has never been a case in the U.S. of a human contracting rabies from a rat bite. Rats do, however, carry other diseases and parasites. It is imperative that you stop the bleeding, clean the rat bite thoroughly, apply topical antibiotic cream to the wound and go to either your doctor or an emergency room as soon as possible.
Stop the Bleeding
Have the victim lie down and, if possible, elevate the part of the body that is bleeding. Place a folded towel over the bite wound and apply uninterrupted pressure on it for 15 minutes. Do not lift the towel after a few minutes to see if the bleeding has stopped, even if you think it has. Also, if the towel becomes saturated with blood, don't remove it. Place another towel on top of it and keep applying pressure. If the bleeding doesn't stop, do not apply a tourniquet, continue applying direct pressure and seek immediate help.
Clean the Wound
After the bleeding stops, clean the wound by flushing it with running water and soap. Do not use hydrogen peroxide, iodine or rubbing alcohol, as these can cause damage within the wound, however, you can dab them around the outside of the wound to make it sterile. Apply antibiotic ointment inside the wound. Don't wait because antibiotic ointment cannot penetrate a scab. Because wounds with airtight bandages are more likely to become infected, cover the wound with a loose bandage.
Seek Medical Attention
Contact your family doctor or present yourself to the emergency room of a hospital. They will inspect the wound and check your tetanus-vaccine history. Stitches may be administered, depending on the severity of the wound. The wound will be re-treated with topical antibiotic and re-bandaged. Oral antibiotics may also be prescribed to ward off any infection. You will be advised to watch for reddening around the wound site and/or a purulent discharge emitting from the wound. Either of these is an indication of infection and requires a different antibiotic.
Possible Diseases
Rats carry parasites and microorganisms, including viruses and bacteria. The biggest concern is with rat-bite fever that can be transmitted to a human from a rat bite. This bacterium causes muscle pain, chills, fever and headaches. The particular bacteria associated with rat-bite fever (streptobacillus moniliformis) can make its way to the heart and cause serious complications. Rat-bite fever is treated with penicillin and other antibiotics.
Domesticated Rats
A bite from a domesticated rat should be treated as a bite from a rat in the wild. You have no idea what diseases the rat contracted before it became your pet. If you are bitten by a domesticated rat, stop the bleeding, flush the wound, apply antibiotic ointment and loosely bandage. Once the wound is treated, call your doctor.
Tags: antibiotic ointment, bite from, emergency room, from bite, rat-bite fever, stop bleeding