Whipple's disease

Whipple's disease is a rare, systemic and chronic infectious disease caused by the bacterium Tropheryma whipplei. The disease primarily causes malabsorption, but can also affect multiple systems in the body including the gastrointestinal tract, joints, and central nervous system. Weight loss, diarrhea, joint pain, arthritis, fever, fatigue, and muscle weakness are common symptoms. The disease is significantly more common in men. Whipple's disease can usually be cured with long-term antibiotic therapy such as ceftriaxone and Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole; untreated, the disease is ultimately fatal.