Hawaii medical journal
-
Hawaii medical journal · Mar 2010
Case ReportsA case of septic arthritis from rat-bite fever in Hawai'i.
Infection associated with a rat bite has been known for centuries. Streptobacillus moniliformis is a zoonotic organism identified in the 20th century as the causative agent of most cases of rat bite fever outside of mainland Asia. There are no previously published cases of this pathogen in Hawai'i. ⋯ Diagnosis of infection from Streptobacillus moniliformis is difficult to make because of the fastidious nature of the organism's growth, as well as inhibitors present in standard blood culture bottles. The use of bacterial 16S rRNA sequencing may aid in an earlier diagnosis for this disease. More research is required to identify host and virulence risk factors for involvement of specific organ systems.