Woman Dies After Being Bitten by Pet Hamster at Home... Animal Welfare Groups Also Shocked

A woman in her 30s died after being bitten by a pet hamster in Spain.

According to foreign media including the Daily Mail, on the 11th (local time) at around 10:30 PM, a 38-year-old woman identified as Ms. A, living in Vila-real, Spain, was found collapsed from cardiac arrest in front of an emergency room. Ms. A, who had visited the hospital with her two children after being bitten by her pet hamster, collapsed at the hospital entrance. Medical staff who witnessed the scene immediately attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation to help her, but she ultimately passed away.

[Image source=Pixabay]

The police are investigating Ms. A’s death through an autopsy and other means. Local media pointed out that although rare, rabies and bacterial infections can be transmitted when bitten by an infected hamster. If the hamster is already infected with bacteria, the bacteria can enter the body through the wound.

In fact, there have been reports in the past of people with allergies being hospitalized due to severe breathing difficulties after being bitten by a hamster. In May 2007, a British man nearly died after going into anaphylactic shock following a hamster bite. However, hamsters generally do not transmit diseases to humans, and transmission of rabies from hamsters is extremely rare.

Paramedics described the situation, saying, "It was a very unusual case. We initially received a report of an allergic reaction, but we did not know it was caused by a hamster until we arrived at the scene." The paramedics added, "Reports of allergic reactions are quite common, but they are usually due to wasp or bee stings," and "there are also allergies caused by medications."

Following the controversy surrounding the incident, a representative from the UK Hamster Association said, "I have raised hamsters for 20 years, but this is the first time I have heard of such a situation," adding, "Hamsters generally do not transmit diseases that can affect humans. In fact, it is more likely for hamsters to catch something from humans." They further claimed, "Such extreme outcomes can only occur if a person’s immune system is severely weakened."