Open AccessA Confirmed Case of Rickettsia parkeri Infection in a Traveler from Uruguay
Author(s) -
Aránzazu Portillo,
Concepción García García,
M Mercedes Sanz,
Sonia Santibáñez,
José M. Venzal,
José A. Oteo
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
american journal of tropical medicine and hygiene
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.015
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1476-1645
pISSN - 0002-9637
DOI - 10.4269/ajtmh.13-0436
Subject(s) - eschar , maculopapular rash , seroconversion , rickettsiosis , spotted fever , chills , doxycycline , scrub typhus , rickettsia , virology , rash , medicine , biology , dermatology , pathology , microbiology and biotechnology , antibiotics , virus
The first confirmed case of Rickettsia parkeri infection in Uruguay is reported. To date, in South America, molecularly confirmed cases of human infection have been found in Argentina and probably, Brazil. Our patient returned to Spain after a 7-day trip to Colonia Suiza (Southwestern Uruguay). He presented fever (39°C), chills, and two eschars (tache noire-like) surrounded by an indurated, erythematous halo on the inner side of the left ankle besides a maculopapular rash on the legs. After treatment with doxycycline for 7 days, he fully recovered. R. parkeri infection was diagnosed by molecular-based detection of the microorganism in a swab specimen of the eschar. Diagnosis was supported by seroconversion between acute- and convalescent-phase sera specimens.
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