ABSTRACT
A retrospective survey done from 1987 till 1990 revealed that 23 patients bitten by pigs sought medical help at a teaching hospital in Uberl andia, in southeastern Brazil. Most cases (21) were from Uberl andia. The cases were evenly distributed by month and by year; most of them (14/16; 87.5 per cent ) occurred between 7.00 a.m. and 7.00 p.m. The male to female ratio was 6.7:1. Age ranged from 6 to 73 (mean 38.95 +/- SD 22.06, median 36). The bites were more common on the upper limbs, particularly on the forearms. In 11 (47.8 per cent ) cases the injury was described as deep. In most cases where information was available the injury was related to capture, transport or immobilisation of the pig for slaughter. The following medical procedures were performed: local cleansing in 19(82.6 per cent ) cases, rabies vaccine (12; 52.2 per cent ), antirabies serum (2; 8.7 per cent ), suturing (6; 26.1 per cent ) and tetanus vaccine (12; 52.2 per cent ). There was no case of infection at the bite site, neither of rabies or tetanus. By our data, the annual incidence of pig bite in Uberl andia can be estimated to be about 1.5/100,000