What is Rat Bite Fever?
What is Rat-bite Fever? Rat-bite fever is a zoonotic disease which means it can be passed from animal to human. It is caused by two strains of bacteria, Streptobacillary RBF Spirillary RBF Streptobacillary RBF is caused by Streptobacillus moniliformis in North America while Spirillary RBF is caused by Spirillum minus and occurs mostly in Asia . Both types of bacteria are both parts of the normal flora of bacteria that are found in the respiratory tracts of rats and it can be also be found in their saliva urine and feces. People believe that you need to be bitten or scratched by a rat to get a rat-bite fever but rat bite fever can also be contracted from any close contact with rats or other rodents. Infection can also result from handling an infected rodent (even with no reported bite or scratch), or ingestion of contaminated food or drink. Although rats are considered the natural reservoir of RBF, the bacteria that cause the condition have also been found in other r...