Fatal Craniocerebral Injury from Wild Boar Attack

Characterization and treatment protocol of injuries inflicted to humans by synurbic European wild boars (Sus scrofa)

PURPOSE

Wild boar (Sus scrofa) has spread and colonized urban areas. The closer contact with humans can lead to wild boar-inflicted injuries. The objectives of this study are: 1) to systematically review the literature on wild boar-inflicted injuries; 2) to describe our wild boar-inflicted wound management protocol; and 3) to analyse the features, outcomes and complications of our case series.

METHODS

First, a systematic search of the literature was performed using the PubMed (MEDLINE) electronic database. Then, our evidence-based wild boar-inflicted wound management protocol was described. Finally, a retrospective case series study including all the patients with wild boar-inflicted injuries attended in our Emergency Department (2020-2022) was analysed.

RESULTS

Fourteen studies (twelve case reports and two case series) were selected for the literature review. Our case series included 34 patients: 50.0% of them presented superficial wounds and 38.2% penetrating wounds. Most of the wounds occurred in the lower limbs (71.9%). Following our protocol, 30.0% of the wounds were primarily closed, the 70.0% of the patients received antibiotics (92.3% in penetrating injuries) and the 26.7% received an antitetanic vaccine. Only one patient (2.9%) presented a complication.

CONCLUSIONS

This study reports the first specific wild boar inflicted-wound management protocol, which led to a low complication rate. Open wounds affecting the lower limbs were the most common lesions. Care should be taken with penetrating tusk injuries. Wide-spectrum antibiotic and antitetanic treatments are recommended. Decisions on wound management should be taken case-by-case, while antirabies vaccination depends on the local status of the disease.

Common Peroneal Nerve Injury Caused by a Wild Boar Attack

Wild boar-inflicted nerve injuries have been very rarely reported in the literature. A 62-year-old man was attacked by a wild boar in eastern Turkey and brought to the emergency department. He had 5 lacerations on the lower extremities and 2 on the posterior thoracic region. In addition to soft tissue lacerations, he sustained a complete laceration of the left common peroneal nerve with a foot drop. The common peroneal nerve was repaired primarily the day after the attack. The patient was discharged after a short hospital stay without any immediate complications; however, at the 10-mo follow-up, he still had a left foot drop.

Penetrating Head Injury Resulting From Wild Boar Attack in Republic of Korea: A Case Report

Few cases of injuries caused by wild boars have been reported in the literature. Here, we present the case of a 64-year-old male patient who was attacked by a wild boar. The patient had a laceration to the right forehead and a penetrating wound in the area before the right auricle. Computed tomography scan revealed traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage, subdural hemorrhage, right temporal lobe contusion hemorrhage, pneumocephalus, right zygomatic arch and temporal bone fracture, and right coronal process fracture of the mandible. Prophylactically, 2,000 mg of ceftriaxone and 400 mg of moxifloxacin were intravenously administered every 24 hours. An emergency craniectomy was performed because the skull fracture was an open fracture and control of the increased intracranial pressure was necessary. Inactivated Rabies Virus Vaccine was also administered postoperatively. We concluded that, unlike typical wounds from other traumatic causes, the risk of wound infection is higher. In order to reduce morbidity and mortality due to wild boar attacks, rapid stabilization of the patient's vital signs, prevention of infection with appropriate antibiotics, and surgical intervention at the appropriate time and method are necessary.

Penetrating Anorectal Injury Caused by a Wild Boar Attack: A Case Report

Wild boar attacks have rarely been reported in the medical literature. This is the case of an 83-year-old male farmer who was assaulted from behind by an injured adult wild boar. He presented with hemorrhagic shock after sustaining injuries to the right profunda femoris artery and right sciatic nerve as well as significant soft-tissue injuries, bilateral iliac wing fractures, an open pneumothorax, and an anorectal injury. The anorectal injury was treated with fecal diversion but was complicated by soft-tissue infection in the surrounding dead space. The patient needed multiple operations, including removal of the distal rectum and creation of a permanent colostomy. In this report, we highlighted the characteristics of anorectal trauma caused by a wild boar attack. We conclude that penetrating anorectal injuries caused by this type of attack can be associated with extensive soft-tissue damage despite externally appearing to be simple puncture wounds. Anorectal combat injuries have demonstrated similar extensive surrounding soft-tissue injuries and propensity for infection; therefore, this case supports adopting a similar treatment strategy, that of serial and radical debridement, to treat certain wild boar injuries.

Bite Wounds Caused by a Wild Boar: A Case Report

A 74-year-old man was attacked by a wild boar while on his way home from his farm in the daytime in winter 2017 on the rural Izu peninsula. He did not provoke the boar; however, hunters were hunting animals in the mountains near the farm around the same time. The boar bit his left leg, and the man fell to the ground. The boar continued biting the man's left leg, and the man delivered a few kicks to the boar's face with his right leg. The boar then bit his right foot and ran away. The man was taken to a hospital, and a physical examination revealed 3 bite wounds on his left leg and right foot. The wounds were irrigated with sterilized saline and closed with sutures under local anesthesia. He received antibiotics and a tetanus toxoid booster. The next day, his wounds were found to be infected, and pus was drained from them. After these treatments, his wounds healed successfully. Animal bite wounds are frequently contaminated. Accordingly, in addition to early proper wound treatment, close observation of the wound is required for both the early detection of any signs of infection and early medical intervention, including appropriate drainage of pus and irrigation as necessary.

A Case of Recto-Vesico-Cutaneous Fistula Following Perineal Injury by Wild Boar

It is very uncommon for a boar to become aggressive in nature against human unless they are cornered. A wild boar attacked a 24-year-old male from behind in perineal region. At presentation, he had continuous dribbling of urine and fecal matter from perineal wound. On CT-scan, a well defined tract delineated by contrast was seen between postero-lateral aspect of bladder and anterior wall of rectum, and there was contrast extravasation through perineal wound. After resuscitation, fistula was repaired through abdominal approach, and perineal wound was debrided. Emergency physician should be aware of such cases as increasing deforestation and shifting of humans to sub-urban area, have resulted in increased incidences of wild boar attack. Prompt stabilization of patient, treatment of infection with proper antibiotics, prevention of tetanus and rabies infection and emergency surgical interventions are necessary to reduce morbidity and mortality from such trauma.

Fatal tusk injuries from a wild boar attack

Injuries caused by wild boar attacks are rare. The pattern of the tusk injuries by wild boar is rarely been mentioned in literature. Such injuries can be termed "tusk injuries". Herein, we discuss the pattern of a wild boar tusk wound following an attack on a 65-year-old man who sustained fatal injuries as a result.

Role of India's wildlife in the emergence and re-emergence of zoonotic pathogens, risk factors and public health implications

Evolving land use practices have led to an increase in interactions at the human/wildlife interface. The presence and poor knowledge of zoonotic pathogens in India's wildlife and the occurrence of enormous human populations interfacing with, and critically linked to, forest ecosystems warrant attention. Factors such as diverse migratory bird populations, climate change, expanding human population and shrinking wildlife habitats play a significant role in the emergence and re-emergence of zoonotic pathogens from India's wildlife. The introduction of a novel Kyasanur forest disease virus (family flaviviridae) into human populations in 1957 and subsequent occurrence of seasonal outbreaks illustrate the key role that India's wild animals play in the emergence and reemergence of zoonotic pathogens. Other high priority zoonotic diseases of wildlife origin which could affect both livestock and humans include influenza, Nipah, Japanese encephalitis, rabies, plague, leptospirosis, anthrax and leishmaniasis. Continuous monitoring of India's extensively diverse and dispersed wildlife is challenging, but their use as indicators should facilitate efficient and rapid disease-outbreak response across the region and occasionally the globe. Defining and prioritizing research on zoonotic pathogens in wildlife are essential, particularly in a multidisciplinary one-world one-health approach which includes human and veterinary medical studies at the wildlife-livestock-human interfaces. This review indicates that wild animals play an important role in the emergence and re-emergence of zoonotic pathogens and provides brief summaries of the zoonotic diseases that have occurred in wild animals in India.