Rat Bite Fever: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Cases of rat-bite fever (RBF) were reported in the literature for more than 2000 years. Not until recently, however, were attempts made to differentiate between RBF and Streptobacillus moniliformis septic arthritis, 2 arguably different clinical entities. There are limited data regarding S moniliformis septic arthritis and the features that distinguish it from RBF, and most conclude that although clinically disparate diseases, it is difficult to differentiate between them. We report a case of a 17-year-old girl who presented with S moniliformis bacteremia and symptoms that spanned both RBF and S moniliformis septic arthritis. This case emphasizes the difficulty in differentiating the 2 clinical entities and the importance of early diagnosis, proper clinical suspicion, and prompt treatment to achieve positive outcomes.