Streptobacillus moniliformis bacteremia in a child: case report

We report a case of bacteremia caused by Streptobacillus moniliformis.

A 2 years and 3 months female Kuwaiti child presented with febrile convulsions, mild cough and vomiting. The patient's history, clinical findings and radiological investigations were reviewed. There was no history of rat/animal bite, but the child had been camping in the desert prior to the illness and may have been exposed to rodent excreta. On two occasions, blood culture specimens yielded pure growth of the organism which was identified by standard diagnostic criteria. The patient was successfully treated with cefotaxime and clarithromicin.

S. moniliformis may be a cause of bacteremia even in the absence of rat/animal bites.