In 1996, the first human case of infection by Rickettsia sibirica subsp. mongolitimonae was described in France. Subsequently, other human cases were reported in the same country. The acronym LAR (lymphangitis-associated rickettsiosis) has been proposed to designate this disease because lymphangitis is one of the main clinical manifestations. Later, a few more cases were described in Portugal, South Africa, Egypt, Greece and Spain. We report a case of R. sibirica mongolitimonae infection as a cause of septic shock in a Spanish patient living in La Rioja (northern Spain). In addition, the broad clinical spectrum of this tick-borne disease is discussed.
© 2012 The Authors. Clinical Microbiology and Infection © 2012 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.