haverhill fever
Noun: A specific form of rat-bite fever, an infectious disease, that occurs in the United States. It is characterized by fever, rash, and joint pain, and is typically caused by the bacterium Streptobacillus moniliformis, often transmitted through contact with rodents or contaminated food or water.
The term is used in medical and epidemiological contexts to describe this distinct clinical presentation of the disease. - The patient was diagnosed with Haverhill fever after presenting with a high fever and a petechial rash. - An outbreak of Haverhill fever was traced back to contaminated milk.
- The term is often used historically or in specific medical literature, as "rat-bite fever" is now the more common overarching term, with infection being the precise microbiological designation.
- Rat-bite fever: The broader category of disease that includes Haverhill fever.
- Streptobacillary fever: Another name for the infection caused by .
- Epidemic arthritic erythema: A historical descriptive term for outbreaks of Haverhill fever.
- Streptobacillosis
- Streptobacillus moniliformis infection
This term refers specifically to the form of the disease associated with outbreaks from contaminated food or drink (often milk), as opposed to the classic form directly following a rodent bite. It is named after Haverhill, Massachusetts, where a significant outbreak was documented.
- the form of ratbite fever occurring in the United States