3-Year-Old Developed a Rare Bacterial Infection After Getting Bit by Iguana Who Tried to Steal Her Cake

Photo Credit: Unsplash/ Madhavan Lakshmikumar

A toddler developed a rare infection after she was bitten by an iguana who attempted to steal her cake, Insider reported.

The unidentified 3-year-old girl was reportedly on vacation in Costa Rica with her parents when the incident occurred. Her parents had given her a cake while she sat by the water on the beach. Not too long afterward a wild iguana approached her, bit her finger, and stole her cake, reports reveal. 

According to CNN, iguanas are generally harmless herbivores, but this particular one apparently had a sweet tooth. The parents brought their daughter to a local clinic, which sterilized the wound and gave her antibiotics. They believed the bite was healed but five months later they discovered a bump in the same spot she was bit. 

The bump reportedly grew the size of a coin

“and was a reddish-bluish color,”

the Guardian reported. Although the child said the bump did not hurt the family rushed her to the doctor. A biopsy revealed that the child developed Mycobacterium marinum, which is usually found in fish. The little girl had to be treated with rifampin, an antimicrobial, and clarithromycin, due to the rare condition. 

“Typically, with these infections, because they take a very long time to grow and they’re a little bit more fastidious, you need to treat them for a longer period of time, sometimes several months,”

Dr Jordan Kit Mah, a medical microbiologist at Stanford University told CNN.

“She’s doing better. I wouldn’t say 100%, but she’s doing a lot better than she was initially.”

#Clique, what are your thoughts? 

Our biggest stories, straight to your box.

Sign up now to get our essential daily briefs on politics' Environment, Royals and more.

By signing up you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookies Statement

Related

Editors Picks