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In medicine, reactive arthritis is an "aseptic, inflammatory arthritis developing secondary to a primary extra-articular infection, most typically of the gastrointestinal tract or urogenital system. The initiating trigger pathogens are usually shigella; salmonella; yersinia; campylobacter; or chlamydia trachomatis. Reactive arthritis is strongly associated with HLA-B27 antigen."[1] In simpler terms, it is an inflammation of a joint that develops after an infectiou outside a joint.
While the arthritic inflammation must be treated, a careful search must be made for remaining infection, and, if any is found, treated.
The frequency of reactive arthritis after an infection is estimated to be 0.6 to 3.1 cases/100,000.[2]