An elderly woman has died after being attacked by her pet rooster in Australia.
The 76 year old woman was reportedly collecting eggs when a domestic rooster that lived on her rural land, pecked her lower left leg, causing “significant haemorrhage with collapse and death”. An autopsy of her left leg showed that it was covered in sticky dried blood near two small bleeding cuts, one of which was located immediately over a “perforated large varix,” write medical experts in the journal Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology.
Her unfortunate death was reported as a result of blood loss, draining from the bleeding varicose veins that were on the woman’s leg. The woman had a history of treated medical conditions that may have affected her body’s ability to regulate blood, including high blood pressure, or hypertension, high cholesterol (hyperlipidemia), type 2 diabetes, and enlarged or twisted veins known as varicose veins.
The woman had a history of vascular problems.
The researchers of the study write: “This case demonstrates that even relatively small domestic animals may be able to inflict lethal injuries in individuals if there are specific vascular vulnerabilities present.”
“If you have varicose veins have them treated. If you have them untreated, be very careful of minor injuries,” he added. “These deaths are preventable. If a vein is punctured apply pressure to the bleeding point, lie down, elevate the leg and get help.”
