Spanish mother dies after bite from pet hamster

A 38-year-old woman in Spain has tragically died after reportedly being bitten by her family’s pet hamster, according to local news reports. The Colombian national, whose name has not been released, collapsed outside a health center while seeking medical attention for the bite, in the presence of her two children, ages 17 and 11.

The woman reportedly collapsed around 10:30 PM local time on Friday, October 11, just feet away from the Accident and Emergency department door. Despite efforts by health workers to resuscitate her, she could not be saved.

While an autopsy is expected to determine the cause of death, it is unclear whether the bite directly contributed to her demise. In Spain, autopsy results are generally not made public.

While rare, bites from infected hamsters can transmit rabies and bacterial infections. Hamster owners are advised to wash any wounds thoroughly to minimize the risk of complications.

This incident echoes a similar case in 2007 in the United Kingdom, where a man went into anaphylactic shock after being bitten by a hamster. Paramedic Stuart Philip told the Mirror that the man’s 7-year-old daughter had taken the pet out of its cage during the “highly unusual situation.”