How to Treat Rat-Bite Fever

Rat-bite fever is an infection caused by the Streptobacillus moniliformis found in the US and Spirillum minus bacteria found in Africa and Asia. Rat-bite fever is usually transmitted to humans when bitten or scratched by an infected rodent although it can also be transmitted through contaminated food and water. The following steps will show how to treat a case of Rat-bite fever.

Instructions

• 1

  Clean the bite and surrounding area with soap and water. Rat-bite fever usually resolves without treatment within four to eight weeks although it can sometimes take up to a year. Get a tetanus and rabies vaccination as rats frequently carry these diseases as well.

• 2

  Take Tylenol for any pain and fever, get fluids and plenty of rest.

• 3

  Realize that Rat-bite fever can be treated very effectively with antibiotics but serious cases can be fatal if left untreated.

• 4

  Use 600,000 units of penicillin G or 500 mg penicillin V per day as the drug of choice for treating both types of Rat-bite fever. Administer penicillin intravenously for five to seven days followed by penicillin orally for seven days. Other antibiotics like cephalosporins, chloramphenicol and clindamycin have also been used successfully.

• 5

  Administer alternative antibiotics for patients allergic to penicillin. 500 mg erythromycin per day may be given orally to treat streptobacillary rat-bite fever and 100 mg oral doxycycline or tetracycline per day for 14 days can be given to treat the spirillary form.