n. a genus of Gram-negative aerobic nonmotile rodlike bacteria that tend to form filaments. The single species, S. moniliformis, is a normal inhabitant of the respiratory tract of rats but causes *rat-bite fever in humans.
(sodokosis) a disease, contracted from the bite of a rat, due to infection by either the bacterium Spirillum minus, which causes ulceration of the skin and recurrent fever, or by the fungus Streptobacillus moniliformis, which causes inflammation of the skin, muscular pains, and vomiting. Both infections respond well to penicillin.... rat-bite fever
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