Polymicrobial wound infection and nerve injury secondary to a nonhuman primate bite

Nonhuman primate bites in the United States are rare. Most physicians have no experience managing them. The lesions are initially treated in much the same way as human bites, although consultation with an infectious diseases specialist, surgeon, and veterinarian are recommended, especially for microbial infection control and management. Of particular concern is animal-to-human transmission of herpes B virus, which can be fatal. We report a case of polymicrobial simian bite wound infection with associated nerve injury in a 12-year-old boy.