Eschar-associated Spotted Fever Rickettsiosis, Bahia, Brazil

Abstract

In Brazil, Brazilian spotted fever was once considered the only tick-borne rickettsial disease. We report eschar-associated rickettsial disease that occurred after a tick bite. The etiologic agent is most related to Rickettsia parkeri, R. africae, and R. sibirica and probably widely distributed from São Paulo to Bahia in the Atlantic Forest.

Keywords

• Spotted fever group rickettsiosis
• rickettsia
• eschar
• multiple-locus sequence analysis
• ticks
• molecular diagnosis