Is treatment available?

Yes. Rat-bite fever can be treated with antibiotics. Treatment is highly effective. Penicillin is the antibiotic of choice. If you are allergic to penicillins, erythromycin may be given to you.

Without treatment, Rat-bite fever due to S. moniliformis , which is found in the United States, can result in extremely serious and potentially fatal complications.

What should I do to prevent Rat-bite fever?

•1. Avoid contact with rats or rat-contaminated dwellings. In addition to Rat-bite fever, contact with rodents, rodent droppings, and dead rodents may result in other infectious diseases.

•2. If you cannot avoid contact with rats, wear protective gloves, practice regular handwashing and avoid hand-to-mouth contact when handling rats or cleaning rat cages.

•3. Because you can also get infected with Rat-bite fever after drinking contaminated milk or water, drink pasteurized milk and water from safe sources.