Abstract
We herein report a 24-year-old woman who developed flexor tenosynovitis after being bitten by a human-bred sea lion (Zalophus californianus) on her right forearm. Despite the initial wound management, the infection progressed, necessitating surgical debridement. Wound culture yielded Eikenella corrodens, Bisgaardia sp., and Neisseria zalophi, which are commensal bacteria in the oral cavity of a sea lion. Notably, N. zalophi has not been previously reported to cause infection in humans. The patient was successfully treated with thorough irrigation, debridement, and skin grafting with antibiotic administration, followed by early rehabilitation, resulting in preservation of a near-normal hand function. This case highlights the potential of rare and novel pathogens in marine mammal bites and highlights the importance of early aggressive treatment and rehabilitation to optimize functional outcomes.
Left: The flexor retinaculum was released, and the infected tissue was debrided. Right: The open wound was closed with primary closure and a partial-thickness skin graft on postoperative day 6.
