Boutonneuse Fever in Southeastern Romania

Boutonneuse fever (BF) is an eruptive disease and is classified as a spotted fever, which is endemic in the Mediterranean basin (i.e., Marseille fever or Mediterranean spotted fever) and the Black Sea, caused by <i>Rickettsia conorii</i>, with dog ticks being a vector (i.e., <i>Rhi...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Simona Claudia Cambrea, Diana Badiu, Constantin Ionescu, Roxana Penciu, Loredana Pazara, Cristina Maria Mihai, Mara Andreea Cambrea, Larisia Mihai
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-11-01
Series:Microorganisms
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/11/11/2734
Description
Summary:Boutonneuse fever (BF) is an eruptive disease and is classified as a spotted fever, which is endemic in the Mediterranean basin (i.e., Marseille fever or Mediterranean spotted fever) and the Black Sea, caused by <i>Rickettsia conorii</i>, with dog ticks being a vector (i.e., <i>Rhipicephalus sanguineus</i>). In Romania, although the first reported outbreak of BF occurred during the summer of 1931 in Constanta, the disease was discovered in 1910. Although the disease has occurred most frequently in the two counties of the Dobruja region (Constanta and Tulcea), a region of the Balkan Peninsula, during the last few years, other counties in southeastern Romania have started to report BF cases. In a period of 9 years, 533 cases were registered in Constanta county, while in a period of 11 years, 339 cases were registered in Bucharest county. In this review, we describe the bacterial tick-borne disease caused by <i>R. conorii</i> in southeastern Romania, focusing on its history and epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical aspects, diagnosis, treatment and preventive measures in the context of climate changes. Although <i>R. conorii</i> is the principal etiologic agent of BF in southeastern Romania, we should take into consideration that other Rickettsia spp. could be present and involved in disease transmission.
ISSN:2076-2607