A confirmed case of Rickettsia parkeri infection in a traveler from Uruguay

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2013 Dec;89(6):1203-5. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.13-0436. Epub 2013 Oct 28.

Abstract

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.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Antibodies, Bacterial / blood
  • DNA Primers / genetics
  • Doxycycline / therapeutic use*
  • Fever
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Rickettsia / classification
  • Rickettsia / genetics
  • Rickettsia / immunology
  • Rickettsia / isolation & purification*
  • Rickettsia Infections / diagnosis*
  • Rickettsia Infections / drug therapy
  • Rickettsia Infections / microbiology
  • Spain
  • Travel
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Uruguay

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • DNA Primers
  • Doxycycline