Infections and rheumatic diseases

Abstract

Infections and rheumatic diseases have shared a close relationship since time immemorial. Some rheumatic diseases are a direct consequence of infections while others have been associated with certain microbes without an established causal link. The above relationship is becoming more and more complex due to rapid advances in therapeutics, and also because of factors such as climate change and worldwide travel. This is a brief review of the major facets of this relationship and demonstrates that clinicians not only have to keep up with all the advances in management of rheumatic diseases but also must remain vigilant about both common as well as opportunistic and unfamiliar infections and their consequences.