What causes Streptobacillus?
Rat-bite fever (RBF) is an infectious disease caused by two different bacteria: Streptobacillus moniliformis, the only reported bacteria that causes RBF in North America (streptobacillary RBF) Spirillum minus, common in Asia (spirillary RBF, also known as sodoku)
Is Streptobacillus Moniliformis Gram-negative?
S. moniliformis is a pleomorphic (straight, fusiform, or with lateral bulbar swellings), filamentous, Gram-negative, nonmotile, and non-acid-fast rod [1].
What is the morphology of Streptobacillus?
Morphology. Streptobacillus moniliformis is a highly pleomorphic, filamentous, gram-negative, nonmotile, and non-acid-fast rod. It usually appears straight but may be fusiform and may develop characteristic lateral bulbar swellings. The organism is typically arranged in chains and loosely tangled clumps (Fig.
Is Streptobacillus harmful?
Less commonly the infection can cause pneumonitis, endocarditis or meningitis. As these symptoms are common to many febrile diseases, this is often classified as a fever of unknown origin (FUO). If untreated, death will occur in approximately 10% of cases.
What is Streptobacillus?
: any of a genus (Streptobacillus) of nonmotile gram-negative rod-shaped bacteria in which the individual cells are often joined in a chain especially : one (S. moniliformis) that is the causative agent of one form of rat-bite fever.
Is Streptobacillus a bacteria?
Streptobacillus is a genus of fastidious microaerophilic gram-negative bacteria, which grow in culture as rods in chains.
Can Streptobacillus be Gram positive?
Streptobacillus moniliformis is a nonmotile, gram-negative, pleomorphic rod that can exist as a nonpathogenic L-phase variant in vivo. However, it can revert to the virulent bacillus form.
What Gram stain is Streptobacillus?
How can you tell the difference between reactive arthritis and septic arthritis?
The two can cause similar symptoms. However, infectious arthritis results from an infection in the joint, while reactive arthritis usually results from an infection elsewhere in the body.
How quickly does septic arthritis develop?
In most cases the symptoms develop within a few days. However, the symptoms can be slower to develop after joint replacement surgery or if you have tuberculosis. At first, the pain and fever may be mild but will gradually get worse.
Is Streptobacillus bacteria multicellular?
a genus of gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacteria. The organisms are found in the throat and nasopharynx of wild and laboratory rats, and they may cause rat-bite fever in humans. It contains a single species, S. multifor´mis.
How does Streptobacillus moniliformis affect the joints?
Background: Streptobacillus moniliformis is a zoonotic agent associated with rodent contacts. Although it is more commonly reported to cause rat-bite fever with reactive arthritides, it can also lead to pyogenic infection of the joints.
How is septic arthritis different from rat bite fever?
Streptobacillus moniliformis septic arthritis: a clinical entity distinct from rat-bite fever? Arthrocentesis is useful in distinguishing streptobacillary septic arthritis from reactive arthritis of rat-bite fever. The sole use of commercial media containing sodium polyanethol sulfonate may render the bacterial culture negative.
How big is Streptobacillus moniliformis in microns?
Streptobacillus moniliformis is a highly pleomorphic, nonmotile, nonsporulating, nonencapsulated gram-negative bacillus that is 1-5 μm (micron) in length. Filamentous forms 100-150 micrometer (micron) in length, as well as L-forms (lacking a cell wall) may occur, especially on media.
How is s.moniliformis isolated from the blood?
S. moniliformis can be isolated in culture from the patient’s blood during the acute phase of the illness and from the synovial fluid of those who develop arthritis. Growth occurs in serum broth as a characteristic granular sediment, appearing like ‘cotton wool balls’ that do not disintegrate on shaking.