Infections That Mimic Rheumatoid Arthritis

Infectious agents that may mimic rheumatoid arthritis include:

(1) parvovirus B19

(2) viral hepatitis B

(3) viral hepatitis C

(4) Chikungunya

(5) HIV

(6) other viruses

(7) tuberculosis (Poncet's disease)

(8) leprosy

(9) bacterial arthritis

(10) brucellosis

(11) Lyme disease

An acute infection associated with immunosuppression may also mimic a flare of rheumatoid arthritis.

In some cases the clinical symptoms are short-lived, but some infections can cause post-infection arthritis.

Possible clues include:

(1) foreign travel

(2) risk factors for sexually-transmitted disease

(3) lymphadenopathy

(4) skin rash

(5) tenosynovitis

(6) substance abuse

(7) positive cultures

(8) fever

(9) thrombocytopenia

Infection would be in the differential diagnosis of seronegative rheumatoid arthritis.