Rat-bite fever: Taking the bite out of a textbook case of Streptobacillus moniliformis blood stream infection

Increasing popularity of rats as domestic pets and continued use of rodents in scientific laboratories has contributed to a notable increase in reported cases of rat-bite fever caused by Streptobacillus moniliformis in the United States. S. moniliformis is a gram-negative filamentous bacterium that is a commensal bacterium found in the nasopharyngeal tract of rats. This is a case of a young male developing rat-bite fever bacteremia without a known bite from a rat, but with incidental contact with oral secretions. The patient developed significant debilitating symptoms including migratory polymyalgias and demonstrated complete recovery after treatment with ceftriaxone.