General Information: Isolation: Patient with rat-bite fever in France; Temp: Mesophile; Temp: 37C; Habitat: Host. Streptobacillus moniliformis causes rat bite fever, a systemic illness characterized by fever, chills, and joint pain which can progress to endocarditis, meningitis or pneumonia if left untreated. Although infection is usually associated with a rodent bite, this disease can be caused by ingestion of contaminated food or water. Streptobacillus moniliformis is the causative agent of rat bite fever in North and South America while a different organism, Spirillum minus, is primarily responsible for this disease in Asia and other countries.