African tick bite fever

Classification according to ICD-10
A77.8	Other tick bite fever
ICD-10 online (WHO version 2019)

Lesion on the foot after infection by Rickettsia africae

The African tick bite fever is one of a tick borne infectious disease caused by bacteria is caused. The disease is known in English-speaking countries as african tick bite fever .

root cause

The disease is caused by the bacteria Rickettsia africae , which belongs to the group of rickettsiae . The pathogen is transmitted by various ticks from the Amblyomma , Dermacentor and Rhipicephalus families with cattle or game ( mono- ungulate and articulated ungulates ) as pathogen reservoir . The disease is therefore common in rural ranching areas and game reserves. Tourists who hike or camp in the bush as well as farmers, hunters, fishermen, etc. who stay in such areas are at high risk of infection.

Occurrence

The disease is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa and must be differentiated from boutonneuse fever , which is also caused by rickettsia and is mainly transmitted by brown dog ticks .

course

The incubation period is between 5 and 7 days, the symptoms include fever, headache and pain in the limbs, as well as characteristic skin lesions at the puncture site ( eschars ), which are reminiscent of a burn from a cigarette. Overall, however , the infection is usually benign.

treatment

The patient is treated with tetracyclines ( doxycycline ).

literature

H. Mehlhorn, D. Eichenlaub, T. Löscher, W. Peters: Diagnosis and therapy of parasitoses in humans. Stuttgart et al. 1995, ISBN 3-437-20520-X .

Web links

Individual evidence

↑ Whitela, Andrew: Tick bite fever. In: health24. July 31, 2011, archived from the original on February 7, 2012 ; accessed on September 2, 2019 .
↑ N. Roch, O. épaulard, I. Pelloux, P. Pavese, JP Brion, D. Raoult, M. Maurin: African tick bite fever in elderly patients: eight cases in French tourists returning from South Africa. In: Clinical Infectious Diseases . Volume 47, number 3, August 2008, pp. E28-e35, doi: 10.1086 / 589868 , PMID 18558881 (review).
^ J. Frean, L. Blumberg, GA Ogunbanjo: Tick bite fever in South Africa . In: South African Family Practice . tape 50 , no. 2 , September 2008, p. 33-35 .

[Ticks-1] Whitela, Andrew: Tick bite fever. In: health24. July 31, 2011, archived from the original on February 7, 2012 ; accessed on September 2, 2019 .

[2] N. Roch, O. épaulard, I. Pelloux, P. Pavese, JP Brion, D. Raoult, M. Maurin: African tick bite fever in elderly patients: eight cases in French tourists returning from South Africa. In: Clinical Infectious Diseases . Volume 47, number 3, August 2008, pp. E28-e35, doi: 10.1086 / 589868 , PMID 18558881 (review).

[3] J. Frean, L. Blumberg, GA Ogunbanjo: Tick bite fever in South Africa . In: South African Family Practice . tape 50 , no. 2 , September 2008, p. 33-35 .