Rat bite fever is passed from rats to humans through the rat’s saliva, urine or feces. You can contract this disease by receiving a bite or scratch from a rat, or by coming into contact with something (like food) that has been contaminated with rat urine or feces. There are two forms of rat bite fever:


Streptobacillus Moniliformis: This disease is most commonly passed via a rat’s saliva. This form of rat bite fever is found in North America.
Spirillum Minus: The bacteria found in this form of rat bite fever also causes a disease called Haverhill Fever. It is most commonly found in Asia.
 As listed above, streptobacillary rat bite fever is caused by the streptobacillus moniliformis bacteria. Symptoms of this kind of fever become visible three to ten days after exposure to an infected rodent but can be delayed for as long as three weeks.Symptoms may include:


Fever: When your body senses foreign bacteria, it elevates your internal temperature to kill off the bacteria. This elevated temperature is what we call a fever.
Muscle pain: The area around the bite or scratch might become swollen and the muscles around the area might feel sore or achy.
Rash: You might notice flat, red bumps on your arms and legs. This rash generally appears two to four days after the fever starts.
Nausea and vomiting.
Headache.
 This sort of rat bite fever is caused by the Spirillum Minus bacteria. Signs and symptoms of spirillary rat bite fever occur 7-21 days after contact with an infected rodent. They can include:


Fever: The fever may come in waves, during which you might also experience chills.
Ulcers: In severe cases, you might also notice an ulcer forming at the spot where you were bitten or scratched. This generally only happens if you do not wash the bite and do not get treated at the hospital.
Swollen lymph-nodes: Lymph-nodes are meant to drain everything from the body and acts as a clearing agent of our body. But since the bacteria are multiple and the body can’t handle and digest them they go to the lymph-nodes in the same form and this leads to swollen lymph-nodes due to irritation of the lymph-nodes.
Inflammation: You might notice swelling around the spot where you were bitten or scratched. This is your body reacting to the bacteria in the rat’s saliva. Inflammatory chemicals are released by the immune system to fight the infection and cause the injured area to swell.
Rash: This generally occurs after the wound has already begun to heal. These rashes are a result of your body fighting the bacteria.
 If you notice any scratch or bite caused by a rodent, you should clean the bite with soap and water immediately. Once you have washed the cut or bite, put an antiseptic solution on it to be extra careful.You can also pour some hydrogen peroxide on the bite to ensure that any lingering bacteria are killed and removed from the wound.
Apply an antibacterial cream on the wound and then cover it with a sterile gauze before heading to the hospital.
 While it is important to do first-aid as described in the previous step, you should still go to the hospital if you are bitten by a rat that you think might be infected. At the hospital, a nurse will clean your wound again and give you medication that will combat any lingering bacteria that entered your body through the bite site.
 If you are bitten or contract rat bite fever, you will be prescribed antibiotics. Penicillin is the most common form of antibiotics prescribed for this specific disease. Patients allergic to penicillin are treated with erythromycin or tetracycline antibiotics.Adults are generally prescribed 400,000 to 600,000 IU/day (240 to 360 mg) of intravenous penicillin G for at least 7 days. This dose should be increased to 1.2 million IU/day (720 mg) if no response is seen within 2 days
Children should receive 20,000 to 50,000 IU per kg of body weight each day day (12 to 30 mg/kg/day) of intravenous penicillin G for 5 to 7 days. This is then followed by 7 days of oral penicillin V, 25 to 50 mg/kg/day (maximum, 3 g/day) taken four times per day.
Be aware of how you can contract rat bite fever.
Look for symptoms of streptobacillary rat bite fever.
Check for signs of spirillary rat bite fever.
Clean the bite or scratch as soon as you notice it.
Go to the hospital after you have cleaned the bite.
Take antibiotics to treat rat bite fever.
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