Exposure to Macaque Monkey Bite.

BACKGROUND

The herpes B virus is a zoonotic agent that is endemic among macaque monkeys only, but can cause fatal encephalomyelitis in humans.

CASE REPORT: A 26-year-old female presented to a U.S. emergency department after being bitten by a wild macaque monkey. The emergency medicine team administered rabies immunoglobulin and rabies vaccine. The team also prescribed acyclovir for prophylactic coverage against herpes B, a deadly zoonotic agent that is endemic among macaque monkeys. A discussion of background, exposure, transmission, symptoms, treatment for herpes B, including latest data available, literature, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines are included. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Zoonotic exposures can cause infectious diseases, which are unfamiliar and deadly. The emergency physician's knowledge of the association between the deadly herpes B infection and wild macaque monkey may expedite treatment and be instrumental in patient morbidity and survival.