Rat-Bite Fever

Excerpt

Rat-bite fever, also known as streptobacillosis, spirillary fever, bogger, and epidemic arthritic erythema, is a zoonotic illness, which is manifested by acute relapsing fever with migratory polyarthralgia. It is transmitted from rodents to humans either by rodent urine or from mucosal secretions. It is a rare disease and can be caused by two kinds of bacteria namely Spirillum minus and Streptobacillus moniliformis. See Image. Rat Bite Fever, Histology. Both organisms are found as normal oral flora in rodents. Most cases occur in Japan, but it has also been seen in the United States, Europe, Australia, and Africa. It is usually transmitted by a rat bite. Some cases are diagnosed after exposure to the urine or other bodily secretions of an infected rodent. These secretions can be from the mouth, nose, or eyes. It can also be transmitted through food or water, that has been contaminated with feces or urine. Household pets such as dogs or cats exposed to rodents can carry the disease and subsequently infect humans. If a rodent bites a person, the area should thoroughly wash and cleansed quickly to reduce the risk of the infection. . Untreated cases can have a mortality rate of up to 10% . The infection is usually treated with Penicillin or Tetracyclines.