[Intermittent fever of infectious origin]

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 2, 2026

Separation of Immune Cell Subpopulations in Peripheral Blood Samples from Children with Infectious Mononucleosis
08:44

Separation of Immune Cell Subpopulations in Peripheral Blood Samples from Children with Infectious Mononucleosis

Published on: September 7, 2022

Vincent Le Moing1, Catherine Leport

  • 1Service des maladies infectieuses et tropicales Hôpital Gui-de-Chauliac 34295 Montpellier. v-le_moing@chu-montpellier.fr

La Revue Du Praticien
|March 28, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Intermittent fever, though rare in infectious diseases, poses diagnostic challenges. Identifying common causes like focal bacterial infections and foreign material infections aids in managing this condition.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Internal Medicine
  • Clinical Diagnostics

Context:

  • Intermittent fever is an uncommon but challenging manifestation of infectious diseases.
  • Requires careful diagnostic evaluation to identify underlying causes.
  • Often associated with focal bacterial infections or foreign materials.

Purpose:

  • To outline the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges posed by intermittent fever.
  • To review the spectrum of infectious causes of intermittent fever.
  • To emphasize the utility of initial clinical assessment and investigations.

Summary:

  • Focal bacterial infections (urinary, biliary, colon) and foreign material infections are frequent causes.
  • Less common causes include infective endocarditis, tuberculosis, Yersinia enterocolitica, and malaria.
  • Rare causes encompass borreliosis, ratbite fever, chronic meningococcemia, and Epstein-Barr Virus infection.
  • Initial patient history, clinical exam, and targeted investigations during fever are crucial.

Impact:

  • Provides a framework for diagnosing intermittent fever.
  • Guides clinicians toward appropriate investigations based on suspected etiology.
  • Aids in efficient patient management, reducing the need for extensive testing.

More Related Videos

Experimental Infection with Listeria monocytogenes as a Model for Studying Host Interferon-γ Responses10:10

Experimental Infection with Listeria monocytogenes as a Model for Studying Host Interferon-γ Responses

Published on: November 16, 2016

Related Concept Videos

Patterns of Fever01:26

Patterns of Fever

Before understanding the types and patterns of fever, it is essential to know its phases.
Types of Fever01:25

Types of Fever

Fever can be triggered by several factors, including infections, nervous system disorders, certain cancers, blood diseases like leukemia, embolism, thrombosis, heatstroke, dehydration, surgical trauma, crushing injuries, and allergic reactions.
Here are the different types of fever:
Stages of Infection01:26

Stages of Infection

Stages of infection describe what happens to a susceptible host once a pathogen invades the human body. The stages of infection are incubation, prodromal, illness, stage of decline, and convalescence. The incubation stage is the period from exposure to a pathogen until symptoms start. The infected person is unaware of impending illness as the pathogens grow and multiply within the body. The duration may vary depending on the type of infection. The incubation period of measles averages ten to...
Methods of reducing fever01:22

Methods of reducing fever

The signs and symptoms of fever include hot and dry skin, flushed face, thirst, muscle aches, anorexia, headache, tachycardia, tachypnea, and fatigue. Elevated body temperature is reduced using two methods: pharmacological and nonpharmacological. Proper identification and treatment of the root cause of a fever is of utmost importance.
Pharmacological Methods of Reducing Fever:
Increased Body Temperature01:25

Increased Body Temperature

A body temperature above  38°C  (100.4 °F) is known as fever or pyrexia, and a person with fever is termed 'febrile.' Typically, the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that acts as the body's thermostat, regulates body temperature through a thermoregulatory setpoint. It receives signals from cold and warm thermal receptors throughout the body and adjusts the body's temperature accordingly. Fever occurs when this hypothalamic setpoint is altered, usually in response to an infection or illness.
Encephalitis l: Introduction01:19

Encephalitis l: Introduction

Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain parenchyma, most often due to infections or autoimmune processes. It presents with neuropsychiatric features such as fever, altered mental status, behavioral changes, cognitive dysfunction, seizures, focal deficits, and sometimes autonomic instability. In some cases, the meninges are also involved, resulting in meningoencephalitis.Infectious CausesInfectious encephalitis is most commonly viral but can also result from bacterial, fungal, or parasitic...