Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Rat-bite fever epidemiology and demographics
Introduction
Epidemiology and Demographics
Epidemiology and Demographics
Rat-bite fever is rare in the United States. However, since RBF is not a notifiable disease, exact numbers of cases are not known.
Rat-bite fever is not a reportable disease in any state. However, unexplained deaths or critical illnesses or rare diseases of public health importance may be reportable in certain states. If RBF is suspected in a severe illness or death but a diagnosis has not been made, physicians can consider reporting the case to their state or local health department.
Since Rat-bite fever is not a reportable disease, trends in disease incidence are not available. However, recent reports have highlighted the potential risk for RBF among persons having contact with rats at home or in the workplace.
The disease has been seen in
- Africa
- Australia
- Europe
- Japan
- North and South America
References
References
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]