First case of Mediterranean spotted fever-associated rhabdomyolysis leading to fatal acute renal failure and encephalitis

Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) is a tick-borne zoonosis caused by Rickettsia conorii. In Italy, about 400 cases are reported every year and nearly half of them occur in Sicily, which is one of the most endemic regions. Although MSF is mostly a self-limited disease characterized by fever, skin ras...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Claudia Colomba, Claudia Imburgia, Marcello Trizzino, Lucina Titone
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2014-09-01
Series:International Journal of Infectious Diseases
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1201971214014325
Description
Summary:Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) is a tick-borne zoonosis caused by Rickettsia conorii. In Italy, about 400 cases are reported every year and nearly half of them occur in Sicily, which is one of the most endemic regions. Although MSF is mostly a self-limited disease characterized by fever, skin rash, and a dark eschar at the site of the tick bite called a ‘tache noire’, serious complications are described, mainly in adult patients. Nevertheless, severe forms of the disease with major morbidity and a higher mortality risk have been described. We report a fatal case of MSF complicated by rhabdomyolysis, acute renal failure, and encephalitis in an elderly woman.
ISSN:1201-9712
1878-3511