Rare Case of Rickettsiosis Caused by Rickettsia monacensis, Portugal, 2021

Abstract

We report a case of rickettsiosis caused by Rickettsia monacensis in an immunocompetent 67-year-old man in Portugal who had eschar, erythematous rash, and an attached Ixodes ricinus tick. Seroconversion and eschar biopsy led to confirmed diagnosis by PCR. Physicians should be aware of this rare rickettsiosis, especially in geographic regions with the vector.

Keywords

• Rickettsia monacensis
• tick-borne disease
• eschar
• rash
• rickettsiosis
• molecular detection