Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Mimicking Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Hospitalized Children, Sonora, Mexico

Abstract

We describe 5 children who had Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) and manifested clinical symptoms similar to multisystem inflammatory syndrome in Sonora, Mexico, where RMSF is hyperendemic. Physicians should consider RMSF in differential diagnoses of hospitalized patients with multisystem inflammatory syndrome to prevent illness and death caused by rickettsial disease.

Keywords

• Rocky Mountain spotted fever
• Rickettsia
• multisystem inflammatory syndrome
• children
• MIS-C
• COVID-19