Rat bite fever without the bite

Ann Rheum Dis. 1992 Mar;51(3):411-2. doi: 10.1136/ard.51.3.411.

Abstract

The case is reported of a patient who developed an acute arthropathy, which was initially diagnosed as acute septic arthritis. The true diagnosis of rat bite fever due to Streptobacillus moniliformis was delayed because of difficulty in growing the organism, which has fastidious growth requirements. The patient had no history of rat bite, which is the usual form of transmission of this disease.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Arthritis, Infectious / diagnosis
  • Arthritis, Infectious / etiology
  • Arthritis, Infectious / microbiology
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Rat-Bite Fever / diagnosis
  • Rat-Bite Fever / etiology*
  • Rat-Bite Fever / microbiology
  • Streptobacillus / isolation & purification