Infectious Arthritis Causes

When it comes to infectious arthritis, causes of the condition may be bacterial, viral, or fungal. Infectious arthritis may be caused by infections with Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae, Escherichia coli, or other types of bacteria. Other causes of infectious arthritis include viral diseases such as hepatitis B, chickenpox, mumps, and HIV/AIDS. In some instances of infectious arthritis, causes of the condition may involve fungal diseases such as histoplasmosis.

 

An Overview of Infectious Arthritis Causes

Infectious arthritis is a general term used to describe forms of arthritis caused by an infection. For purposes of this article, we will separate possible causes of infectious arthritis into the following categories:
 
  • Bacterial
  • Viral
  • Fungal.
     

Bacterial Causes of Infectious Arthritis

Possible bacterial causes of infectious arthritis may include:
 
  • Staphylococcus aureus (in infants, children, and adults)
  • Group B streptococcus (in infants)
  • Haemophilus influenzae (in children)
  • Neisseria gonorrhoeae (the bacteria that cause gonorrhea -- most often seen in young adults)
  • Staphylococcus epidermidis (in people with artificial hips and knees)
  • Gram-negative bacilli (a group of bacteria, including Escherichia coli, or E. coli)
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa (in intravenous drug addicts and neonates).
 
Other possible bacterial causes of infectious arthritis include:
 
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis (the bacteria that cause tuberculosis, or TB)
  • Borrelia burgdorferi (the bacteria that cause Lyme disease)
  • Treponema pallidum (the bacteria that cause syphilis).
     
(Infectious Arthritis Causes Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD