Rat Bite Fever in an Elderly Patient With Dementia

Rat bite fever (RBF) is a zoonotic infection with nonspecific symptoms such as fever, myalgia, and arthralgia that mimic other systemic infections or noninfectious rheumatologic disorders. Obtaining a history of rat exposure is the key to diagnosis. Since a diagnosis may not be possible without some...

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Main Authors: Yohei Nakamoto, Tetsuro Aita, Koichi Imaoka, Sugihiro Hamaguchi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American College of Physicians 2023-11-01
Series:Annals of Internal Medicine: Clinical Cases
Online Access:https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/aimcc.2023.0344
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author Yohei Nakamoto
Tetsuro Aita
Koichi Imaoka
Sugihiro Hamaguchi
author_facet Yohei Nakamoto
Tetsuro Aita
Koichi Imaoka
Sugihiro Hamaguchi
author_sort Yohei Nakamoto
collection DOAJ
description Rat bite fever (RBF) is a zoonotic infection with nonspecific symptoms such as fever, myalgia, and arthralgia that mimic other systemic infections or noninfectious rheumatologic disorders. Obtaining a history of rat exposure is the key to diagnosis. Since a diagnosis may not be possible without some degree of suspicion, routine exposure history-taking is useful. We present the case of a woman with dementia and RBF whose history of a rat bite was obtained incidentally during routine history-taking from her spouse. Routine history about exposures should be taken for the diagnosis of RBF in patients with communication difficulties such as dementia.
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publisher American College of Physicians
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series Annals of Internal Medicine: Clinical Cases
spelling doaj-art-d34a7e489b83497bac1e3efa6779d3f42025-08-20T02:13:01ZengAmerican College of PhysiciansAnnals of Internal Medicine: Clinical Cases2767-76642023-11-0121110.7326/aimcc.2023.0344Rat Bite Fever in an Elderly Patient With DementiaYohei Nakamoto0Tetsuro Aita1Koichi Imaoka2Sugihiro Hamaguchi31Department of General Internal Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan1Department of General Internal Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan2Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan1Department of General Internal Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, JapanRat bite fever (RBF) is a zoonotic infection with nonspecific symptoms such as fever, myalgia, and arthralgia that mimic other systemic infections or noninfectious rheumatologic disorders. Obtaining a history of rat exposure is the key to diagnosis. Since a diagnosis may not be possible without some degree of suspicion, routine exposure history-taking is useful. We present the case of a woman with dementia and RBF whose history of a rat bite was obtained incidentally during routine history-taking from her spouse. Routine history about exposures should be taken for the diagnosis of RBF in patients with communication difficulties such as dementia.https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/aimcc.2023.0344
spellingShingle Yohei Nakamoto
Tetsuro Aita
Koichi Imaoka
Sugihiro Hamaguchi
Rat Bite Fever in an Elderly Patient With Dementia
Annals of Internal Medicine: Clinical Cases
title Rat Bite Fever in an Elderly Patient With Dementia
title_full Rat Bite Fever in an Elderly Patient With Dementia
title_fullStr Rat Bite Fever in an Elderly Patient With Dementia
title_full_unstemmed Rat Bite Fever in an Elderly Patient With Dementia
title_short Rat Bite Fever in an Elderly Patient With Dementia
title_sort rat bite fever in an elderly patient with dementia
url https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/aimcc.2023.0344
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AT koichiimaoka ratbitefeverinanelderlypatientwithdementia
AT sugihirohamaguchi ratbitefeverinanelderlypatientwithdementia