Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

LIVE: Thursday 27th June 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)
Join our expert panel to discover why you need to understand the drivers of non-adherence in your patients, and how you can optimize medication adherence in your clinics to drastically improve patient outcomes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Infectious Diseases
Published in: BMC Infectious Diseases 1/2021

Open Access 01-12-2021 | Cephalexin | Case report

Rat bite fever with osteomyelitis and discitis: case report and literature review

Authors: Steven H. Adams, Rahul Mahapatra

Published in: BMC Infectious Diseases | Issue 1/2021

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

Rat bite fever (RBF) is a rare systemic febrile illness transmitted by rats. Streptobacillus moniliformis is a pleomorphic Gram-negative bacillus which is the usual etiologic organism for rat bite fever in the United States.

Case presentation

Here we present a case of rat bite fever complicated by vertebral osteomyelitis and discitis. The patient revealed an exposure history of being bitten by pet rats. The patient’s symptoms dramatically improved with a six-week course of cephalexin therapy.

Conclusions

It is important to obtain a thorough zoonotic exposure history and maintain rat bite fever in the differential when considering potential causes of discitis and osteomyelitis.
Literature
1.
Eisenberg T, Ewers C, Rau J, Akimkin V, Nicklas W. Approved and novel strategies in diagnostics of rat bite fever and other Streptobacillus infections in humans and animals. Virulence. 2016;7(6):630–48 Cited 2021 Feb 28.CrossRef
2.
Eisenberg T, Nicklas W, Mauder N, Rau J, Contzen M, Semmler T, et al. Phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of members of the genus Streptobacillus. PLoS One. 2015;10(8) Cited 2021 Feb 28.
3.
4.
DuBray KA, Glaser CA. Streptobacillus moniliformis (rat-bite fever). In: Cherry J, Demmler-Harrison GJ, Kaplan SL, Steinbach WJ, Hotez PJ, editors. Feigin and Cherry’s textbook of pediatric infectious diseases. 8th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2019. Cited 2020 May 23.
5.
6.
Abusalameh M, Mahankali-Rao P, Earl S. Discitis caused by rat bite fever in a rheumatoid arthritis patient on tocilizumab – first ever case. Rheumatology. 2018;57(6):1118–20 Cited 2020 May 30.CrossRef
7.
8.
Nei T, Sato A, Sonobe K, Miura Y, Takahashi K, Saito R. Streptobacillus moniliformis bacteremia in a rheumatoid arthritis patient without a rat bite: a case report. BMC Res Notes. 2015;8(1):694 Cited 2020 May 30.CrossRef
9.
Adizie T, Gayed M, Ravindran J. Rat bite fever causing septic arthritis and osteomyelitis in a young man. Rheumatology. 2014;53(suppl_1):i57.CrossRef
10.
11.
Akter R, Boland P, Daley P, Rahman P, Al Ghanim N. Rat bite fever resembling rheumatoid arthritis. Can J Infect Dis Med Microbiol. 2016;2016:7270413.CrossRef
12.
13.
14.
Eisenberg T, Poignant S, Jouan Y, Fawzy A, Nicklas W, Ewers C, et al. Acute tetraplegia caused by rat bite fever in snake keeper and transmission of Streptobacillus moniliformis. Emerg Infect Dis. 2017;23:719–21 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).CrossRef
15.
Kache PA, Person MK, Seeman SM, McQuiston JR, McCollum J, Traxler RM. Rat-bite fever in the United States: an analysis using multiple national data sources, 2001–2015. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2020;7(6):ofaa197.CrossRef
Metadata
Title
Rat bite fever with osteomyelitis and discitis: case report and literature review
Authors
Steven H. Adams
Rahul Mahapatra
Publication date
01-12-2021
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Infectious Diseases / Issue 1/2021
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2334
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-021-06172-x

Other articles of this Issue 1/2021

BMC Infectious Diseases 1/2021 Go to the issue

Research

Quantitative assessment of the effectiveness of joint measures led by Fangcang shelter hospitals in response to COVID-19 epidemic in Wuhan, China

Case report

A case report of COVID-19 in a patient with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Research article

The Selvester QRS score as an estimative of myocardial injury in acute chagasic patients from the Brazilian Amazon

Research article

Epidemic size, trend and spatiotemporal mapping of SARS-CoV-2 using geographical information system in Alborz Province, Iran

Research article

Clinical features of parainfluenza infections among young children hospitalized for acute respiratory illness in Amman, Jordan

Research article

Activity of daily living upon admission is an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality in older patients with community-acquired pneumonia
Live Webinar | 27-06-2024 | 18:00 (CEST)

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Reserve your place

Live: Thursday 27th June 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)

WHO estimates that half of all patients worldwide are non-adherent to their prescribed medication. The consequences of poor adherence can be catastrophic, on both the individual and population level.

Join our expert panel to discover why you need to understand the drivers of non-adherence in your patients, and how you can optimize medication adherence in your clinics to drastically improve patient outcomes.

Prof. Kevin Dolgin
Prof. Florian Limbourg
Prof. Anoop Chauhan
Developed by: Springer Medicine
Obesity Clinical Trial Summary

At a glance: The STEP trials

Read more

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.

Developed by: Springer Medicine

Highlights from the ACC 2024 Congress

Year in Review: Pediatric cardiology

Pediatric Cardiology Video

Watch Dr. Anne Marie Valente present the last year's highlights in pediatric and congenital heart disease in the official ACC.24 Year in Review session.

Year in Review: Pulmonary vascular disease

Cardiopulmonary Comorbidity Video

The last year's highlights in pulmonary vascular disease are presented by Dr. Jane Leopold in this official video from ACC.24.

Year in Review: Valvular heart disease

Valvular Heart Disease Video

Watch Prof. William Zoghbi present the last year's highlights in valvular heart disease from the official ACC.24 Year in Review session.

Year in Review: Heart failure and cardiomyopathies

Heart Failure Video

Watch this official video from ACC.24. Dr. Biykem Bozkurt discusses last year's major advances in heart failure and cardiomyopathies.

ACC 2024 Congress Coverage

Year in Review: Heart failure and cardiomyopathies

Heart Failure Video

Watch this official video from ACC.24. Dr. Biykem Bozkurt discusses last year's major advances in heart failure and cardiomyopathies.

Watch now

Semaglutide benefits people with type 2 diabetes and obesity-related heart failure

16-04-2024 Type 2 Diabetes News

Incentivised to exercise

11-04-2024 Lifestyle Modifications News

New intervention for STEMI-related cardiogenic shock

10-04-2024 Myocardial Infarction News

» View more highlights on the ACC 2024 congress hub page

Image Credits