Epidemiological and Clinical Features of Rickettsial Infection Among Australian Individuals from 2015 to 2018

Abstract

In this study, the clinical, laboratory and epidemiological features of rickettsial infection in Australian patients were examined. Patients with Rickettsia spp. seropositivity were selected from the database of the Australian Rickettsial Reference Laboratory. Questionnaires were sent to each referring physician with a request for information regarding the patient’s illness. A retrospective analysis of 178 patients revealed the following common features in Australian rickettsial infection: fever, headache, myalgia, rash and a history of recent exposure to the Australian bush. The history included tick bites, eschar presence, respiratory abnormalities and acute fatigue, accompanied by abnormal haematology and liver function tests. A differential diagnosis including rickettsial infection should be confirmed (or refuted) by rickettsial serology.