• Rodney William Tregle, Catherine Lindsay Loe, Robert Hailes Earhart, and Sarah Baillio d'Autremont.
• Earl K. Long Emergency Medicine Residency Program, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70805, USA.
• J Emerg Med. 2011 Oct 1;41(4):e89-90.

BackgroundExotic animal importation and trade has the potential to expose the public to a variety of injuries and diseases not endemic to the United States. Bonnet Macaque monkeys are a fairly common primate illegally held in captivity. These monkeys become aggressive as they age past 2 years and are known to carry asymptomatic Cercopithecine herpesvirus 1 infection.ObjectiveThis case is presented to illustrate the point that simple wound management alone may not only be insufficient but could be fatal in certain exotic animal bites and that the emergency physician should consult with authorities familiar with exotic animals when treating a patient with an exotic animal bite.Case ReportWe present the case of a 2-year-old child that was bitten by his neighbor's pet Bonnet Macaque monkey. This species of Old World monkey carries the Cercopithecine herpesvirus 1 (simian B virus) 73-100% of the time. This infection in humans can lead to an encephalitis that has a 70% mortality rate. Consultation with animal authorities led to the proper treatment, which included routine wound care, rabies prophylaxis, irrigation with sodium hypochlorite solution, and treatment with antiviral medication.ConclusionSimple wound management alone may not be enough in patients bitten by exotic animals. Consultation with local zoo officials, veterinary medical schools, or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommended in these cases.Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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