The infection that causes infectious arthritis comes from a bacterial, viral or fungal infection that spreads from another part of the body.

Most kinds of arthritis cause pain and swelling in your joints. Joints are places where two bones meet, such as your elbow or knee. Infectious arthritis is an infection in the joint. Symptoms of infectious arthritis include:

  • Intense pain in the joint
  • Joint redness and swelling
  • Chills and fever
  • Inability to move the area with the infected joint
One type of infectious arthritis is reactive arthritis. The reaction is to an infection somewhere else in your body. The joint is usually the knee, ankle or toe. Sometimes, reactive arthritis is set off by an infection in the bladder, or in the urethra, which carries urine out of the body. In women, an infection in the vagina can cause the reaction. For both men and women, it can start with bacteria passed on during sex. Another form of reactive arthritis starts with eating food or handling something that has bacteria on it.

To diagnose infectious arthritis, your healthcare provider may do tests of your blood, urine and joint fluid. Treatment includes medicines and sometimes surgery.

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