Baby in Iligan City bitten by rat while asleep

A baby in Iligan City was bitten by a rat while sleeping next to her mother.

According to Kuya Kim on "24 Oras", Tuesday, the mother, Zyrabelle Sacay, discovered blood on the sheets and saw that her one-year-old baby, Jezelle, was bleeding from her foot due to a rat bite.

She said that it had been raining lately and there have been lots of rats in the area, but their family did not expect that the rodents would get inside the house.

Baby Jezelle was immediately rushed to the emergency room where she was given paracetamol and amoxicillin for the swelling of her foot. Jezelle has already been vaccinated against tetanus, although Zyrabelle said that she worried if her baby might get rabies from the rat bite.

In the segment, Kuya Kim quashed this worry, explaining that rats are rarely found with rabies and are not known to transmit the viral disease unlike dogs, cats, and bats.

Nevertheless, a rat bite still poses risks because it can cause tetanus or "tetano." Per general medicine practitioner Dr. Rafael Cabo-Chan Martires, tetanus is commonly found in dirty places, including soil, mud, and more.

"Madumi ang mga daga talaga kaya it's common na dala-dala din nila 'yung bacteria. Kahit maliit lang 'yung sugat nun, pwede siya magdulot ng tetanus infection, which is very dangerous," Martires said.

He also advised the public on how to properly treat a rat bite. One must apply ample pressure on the part that is bleeding. It is also effective to wash the wound with soap and water. Those with rat bites must be brought to the hospital, especially if they have not been vaccinated against tetanus so they can receive the jab.

Kuya Kim added that tetanus is not the only infection that rats bring. Rats are also responsible for spreading leptospirosis, a bacterial infection caused by the Leptospira bacteria. The infection is spread through direct contact with the urine of animals infected by leptospirosis, including rats. It can also be transmitted to humans through contaminated soil, water, and food.

Leptospirosis can cause kidney damage, meningitis, and liver failure. This rainy season, the public is cautioned to avoid wading or swimming in floodwater, especially if one has fresh wounds. It is also necessary to always wear protective wear, like boots, in such weather.

— CDC, GMA Integrated News