RAT-BITE FEVER

Course overview

RAT-BITE FEVER, ALSO KNOWN AS STREPTOBACILLOSIS, SPIRILLARY FEVER, BOGGER, AND EPIDEMIC ARTHRITIC ERYTHEMA, IS A ZOONOTIC ILLNESS THAT MANIFESTS WITH ACUTE RELAPSING FEVER WITH MIGRATORY POLYARTHRALGIA. IT IS TRANSMITTED FROM RODENTS TO HUMANS EITHER VIA RODENT URINE OR MUCOSAL SECRETIONS. IT IS A RARE DISEASE AND CAN BE CAUSED BY TWO KINDS OF BACTERIA: SPIRILLUM MINUS AND STREPTOBACILLUS MONILIFORMIS. BOTH ORGANISMS ARE NORMAL ORAL FLORA IN RODENTS. MOST CASES OCCUR IN JAPAN, BUT IT HAS ALSO BEEN SEEN IN THE UNITED STATES, EUROPE, AUSTRALIA, AND AFRICA AND IS USUALLY TRANSMITTED BY A RAT BITE. HOWEVER, SOME CASES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH MERE EXPOSURE TO THE URINE OR NASAL, FECAL, OR OCULAR SECRETIONS OF AN INFECTED RODENT. RAT-BITE FEVER CAN ALSO BE TRANSMITTED THROUGH FOOD OR WATER THAT HAS BEEN CONTAMINATED WITH FECES OR URINE, OR VIA HOUSEHOLD PETS SUCH AS DOGS OR CATS THAT HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO RODENTS. UNTREATED CASES OF RAT-BITE FEVER CAN HAVE A MORTALITY RATE AS HIGH AS 10 PERCENT. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH RAT-BITE FEVER AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM MEMBERS IN COLLABORATING TO PROVIDE WELL-COORDINATED CARE AND ENHANCE OUTCOMES FOR AFFECTED PATIENTS.