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Rickettsia africae
Etiologic agent of African Tick-Bite Fever.
Epidemiology:
- tick vectors of the amblyomma genus
- found in 15 African countries, including South Africa
- 2nd only to malaria as cause of febrile illness in travelers returning from Africa
Pathology:
- endothelial damage in the microcirculation leads to increased vascular permeability
Clinical manifestations:
- fever, headache, malaise, conjunctivitis, pharyngitis
- maculopapular, vesicular or petechial rash
- regional lymphadenopathy with eschar at site of tick bite
- lesions characteristic of vasculitis
Laboratory:
- Rickettsia africae serology
Complications:
- shock
- meningoencephalitis
- renal injury, liver injury, GI injury
- Brill-Zinser disease
Management:
- doxycycline for 7-10 days
Related
African Tick-Bite Fever; African tick typhus
General
Rickettsia
Properties
KINGDOM: monera
DIVISION: SCHIZOMYCETES
References
- Bohaty BR, Hebert AA
African Tick-Bite Fever after a Game-Hunting Expedition.
N Engl J Med 2015; 372:e14. March 5, 2015
PMID: 25738687
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMicm1312910
- Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program (MKSAP) 18,
American College of Physicians, Philadelphia 2018