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Rat-bite fever - Symptom

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.

  • Reviewed last on: 9/15/2010
  • 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.

References

Washburn RG. Rat-bite fever: Streptobacillus moniliformis and Spirillum minus. In: Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, eds. Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2009:chap 231.

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