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Case Reports
. 2010 Mar;15(3):131-4.
doi: 10.1093/pch/15.3.131.

The rise of the rats: A growing paediatric issue

Karine Khatchadourian  1 , Philippe Ovetchkine, Philippe Minodier, Valérie Lamarre, Marc H Lebel, Bruce Tapiéro
Affiliations
Case Reports

The rise of the rats: A growing paediatric issue

Karine Khatchadourian et al. Paediatr Child Health. 2010 Mar.

Abstract
in English, French

Rat bite fever (RBF), a systemic infection of Streptobacillus moniliformis or Spirillum minus characterized by fever, arthralgias and petechial-purpuric rash on the extremities, carries a mortality rate of 7% to 10% if untreated. In Canada, one adult and two paediatric cases of RBF have been reported since 2000. In recent years, pet rats have become quite popular among children, placing them at an increased risk for RBF. Thus, paediatricians need to be more wary of the potential for RBF in their patients. In the present report, a culture-confirmed case of RBF and two additional cases of suspected infection are described.

La fièvre par morsure de rat (FMR) est une infection systémique du Streptobacillus moniliformis ou du Spirillum minus caractérisée par de la fièvre, des arthralgies et un purpura pétéchial périphérique. Elle s’associe à un taux de mortalité de 7 % à 10 % si elle demeure non traitée. Au Canada, on a déclaré un cas de FMR chez un adulte et deux cas chez des enfants depuis 2000. Ces dernières années, les rats domestiques ont gagné en popularité chez les enfants, les rendant plus vulnérables au risque de FMR. Ainsi, les pédiatres doivent demeurer davantage à l’affût de cette possibilité chez leurs patients. Dans le présent rapport, les auteurs décrivent un cas de FMR confirmé par culture et deux cas d’infection présumée.

Keywords: Canada; Infectious disease; Paediatrics; Rat bite fever.

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Figures

Figure 1)
Figure 1)
Petechial and purpuric lesions on the feet of the patient. Permission to use the photo was obtained from the patient
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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