On May 27, Lianhe Zaobao reported that a woman in Singapore died after being bitten by a hamster.

The victim, an ex-policewoman turned civil servant, was trying to separate her two fighting pets.

Numbness

According to the Chinese daily, she first experienced some numbness on her tongue and hand. Her family members then called for the ambulance.

She subsequently fell into a coma and passed away on May 25, after six days of emergency treatment.

She leaves behind three daughters aged between two and 10.

Possibly a severe allergic reaction

As a hamster bite is not poisonous, cases like these are extremely rare.

While Zaobao reported that the cause of death may have been an allergic reaction, actual events are still under investigation.

However, Facebook page, Hamster Help Singapore, highlighted in a post the possibility of anaphylaxis (a serious allergic reaction) as having contributed to the woman's demise:

Anaphylaxis and consequences

Anaphylaxis causes the following symptoms:

• An itchy rash (i.e. skin reactions)
• Throat or tongue swelling
• Shortness of breath
• Vomitting
• Lightheadedness
• Low blood pressure

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Hamster Help also mentioned these following symptoms manifesting:

• Nausea or diarrhoea
• Feeling warm
• Abdominal pain
• Weak and rapid pulse
• Tingling hands, feet, mouth or scalp
• Runny nose and sneezing
• Difficulty in swallowing

The onset of these symptoms is rapid and potentially fatal, but can be countered by an injection of epinephrine (adrenaline).

Here's an example of it:

What to do when bitten by a hamster

In the event you get bitten by a hamster, the Hamster Help Facebook page advises doing the following:

• Wash the wound immediately.
• Squeeze out as much blood as possible to avoid blood poisoning.
• Apply iodine to kill the bacteria.
• Optional: A tetanus shot.

And don't throw out your hamsters.

Top image from Pixabay