Sunday, February, 12, 2012

Rat-bite fever

Table of Contents

Alternative Names

Streptobacillary fever; Streptobacillosis; Haverhill fever; Epidemic arthritic erythema; Spirillary fever; Sodoku


Symptoms

Symptoms depend on the bacteria that caused the infection.

Symptoms due to Streptobacillus moniliformis may include:

  • Chills
  • Fever
  • Joint pain, redness, or swelling
  • Rash

Symptoms due to Spirillum minus may include:

  • Chills
  • Open sore at the site of the bite
  • Rash -- may be red/purple plaques

Signs and tests

This condition is diagnosed by detecting the bacteria in skin, blood, joint fluid, or lymph nodes. Blood antibody tests and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques may also be used.


Review Date: 09/15/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)