A case of seal bite injury

In Japan, seal habitats are limited, and no medical cases of seal bites have been reported. Therefore, we report a case of a seal bite. A 22-year-old female aquarium employee was bitten by a seal that reacted to a dog that was barking during feeding. She washed the wound at the scene for approximately 10 min before presenting to the hospital. A bite wound with tooth marks extending from the back of the right hand to the wrist and partially penetrating the subcutaneous tissue was observed. The wound was cleaned and disinfected, and the bite site was left open. Tetanus toxoid and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid were prescribed, and the patient was discharged. The wound healed without any complications. In this report, we outline the epidemiology and pathophysiology of bites from seals located overseas.