Fatal rat bite fever in a pet shop employee.
BACKGROUND
Rat bite fever is a zoonotic disease that has been described in laboratory personnel as well as the general population.


METHODS
A 24-year-old male pet shop employee contracted the disease through a minor superficial finger wound on a contaminated rat cage. The disease progressed from a flu-like illness to endocarditis involving first the aortic valve and then the mitral valve and septum. Despite aggressive therapy including two surgical procedures, the patient died from sepsis and multi-organ system failure 59 days after initial injury.


RESULTS
This is the first reported case of rat-bite fever (RBF) in a pet shop work setting.


CONCLUSIONS
Zoonotic infections may present a significant hazard to workers handling animals. Education on hazards of animal contact and other preventive measures are needed in small places of business like pet shops.
Shvartsblat
Steve
S
Department of Family Medicine, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90024, USA. stevesmdmph@hotmail.com
Kochie
Mary
M
Harber
Philip
P
Howard
John
J
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic / Q000382:microbiology*; D001733:Bites and Stings / Q000382:microbiology; D004696:Endocarditis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D011906:Rat-Bite Fever / Q000150:complications*; D051381:Rats; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology