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 rodent species, such as mice and gerbils. 


Rat Bite Fever Symptoms.

Symptoms could take anywhere for three days to thr.ee weeks to appear and you could expect,

  • Fever
  • Nausea
  • Swelling near the bite wound
  • Vomiting
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Chills
  • Headaches
  • Rashes and
  • Pains in your muscles and joints

Whether I have Rate Bite Fever?

The infection can be confirmed with blood samples or tissue and fluid samples.

In extreme cases, you can get,

  • Pneumonia
  • Inflammation of the heart 
  • Hepatitis sepsis or Meningitis

Treatment for Rat Bite Fever

RBF bacteria are usually treated with penicillin. If you're allergic to penicillin there are other antibiotics that can be used in its place. Sometimes, if it goes untreated either your body is going to clear it up on its own.

People who may be at increased risk of contracting RBF include those who:

  • Live in rat-infested buildings
  • Have pet rats in their home
  • Work with rats in laboratories or pet stores

Protection from Rat Bite Fever

  • Wash your hands with antibacterial soap 
  • Keep Rats cages clean and well-ventilated 
  • Use disposable gloves when cleaning your cages or when handling poop and urine.
  • If you're bitten then clean and dress the wound appropriately.
  • Don't keep the Rat cage items in your kitchen sink.
  • Be sure to disinfect whatever sink or bathtub you do use to clean rats infestation.
  • Make sure you don't have any sort of wild rodent infestations in your home where your pets may come in contact with a wild rat or mouse.

Conclusion:

When you're sick whether you've had contact with rodents or not the symptoms that you'll get from Rat bite fever are all red flags that your body is giving you that something is wrong and you should not be ignoring that if you're having some of the symptoms of rat bite fever. Make sure to tell your doctor if you have pet rodents and about any bites or scratches that you've had recently so that it's on their radar.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to kill ants in the house ?

-
Image
 How to kill ants in the house ? Ants travel in packs, and will generally make their way into your home in the spring and fall. But there's a lot you can do to prevent them from becoming an issue. In this article, we will discuss several natural ways to keep ants from getting inside your home. A lot of people resort to pesticides to get rid of mice. But in this article, we will guide you through seven natural ways to deter ants. Now, when ants start an invasion of your home and yard, you gotta be prepared to fight them off. If you aren’t a huge fan of chemical pesticides (since they can be harmful for humans) – there are natural ways to get rid of those annoying insects and keep them out for good. Citrus fruits You might love the smell of oranges, lemons, and grapefruit, but ants just can’t stand it! Use this knowledge to your advantage and leave some ground, dried citrus peels near entry points to the house, in flower beds, and in potted plants to scare away ants....
Read more

How to keep mice out of your Car ?

-
 How to keep mice out of your Car?  In winter we don't like to drive our cars. But many of us have a problem that a lot of you guys might run across when you're storing your vehicle and that is mice, unfortunately. You know you can take your car, you can clean it up real nice before you put it away, you can get a nice car cover, you can put it in a nice warm garage but there's not really anything you can do 100% it's going to keep Mice's out of it. But it's got a nice cozy interior and mice love to live in stored cars. Not only this, Rats just pick up any debris from anywhere they find in bringing it into the engine compartment, and oftentimes they're going to be picking up all kinds of material from inside your engine compartment including the insulation for your wires and the insulation blanket. Surely, you have tried everything the mousetraps, poison bait, bought an ultrasonic thing but still stuck with the mice in the car. Here we're pro...
Read more

NATURAL WAYS TO GET RID OF MICE

-
Image
Seven natural ways to  get rid of mice In this article, we will discuss Seven natural ways to keep mice from getting inside your home. A lot of people resort to mousetraps to get rid of mice.  But in this article, we will guide you through seven natural ways to deter mice . As soon as the cooler weather starts to hit, chances are that every manner of the living creature is trying to find their way into the warm house. Bugs, mice, and rodents of all kinds seek out warmth for survival. People nowadays are no longer happy with traditional mousetraps as they are considered inhuman by some. But, if you have a common rodent problem, an exterminator and traditional traps are all you can use. But most of the residents everywhere are seeking natural ways to deter mice . One of the simplest and best ways to prevent mice from staying in your home is by cleaning up after yourself as much as possible, this means getting rid of every possible source of food or crumb th...
Read more