Spirillosis

**Definition:** A disease caused by an infection with the gram-negative bacteria Spirillum minus. This disease is initially characterised by local inflammation, followed by fever, lymphadenitis, and headache. Transmission is commonly by direct contact through the bite or scratch of an infected rat. Confirmation is by identification of Spirillum in blood or tissue samples.

**Long definition:** Spirillary rat-bite fever, also known as Sodoku (Japanese for so: rat and doku: poison), is an infectious disease caused by the Gram-negative bacillus Spirillum minus and is transmitted to humans through the bites and scratches of rats, and characterized by local inflammation, fever, lyphoadenopathies and macular rash (50% of cases).

**Inclusions:** - Sodoku