Brazilian maculous fever, also known as tick fever, Rocky Mountain purple fever and star-shaped petenchyal fever, is an infection caused by Rickettsia rickettsii after a tick bite.
Spotted fever is generally most common during the months of June to October, as it is when ticks are most active, being necessary to be in contact with the tick between 6 and 10 hours.
- Spotted fever is curable.
- But antibiotic treatment should be initiated as soon as the first symptoms appear to avoid serious complications.
- Such as brain inflammation.
- Paralysis.
- Respiratory failure or kidney failure.
- Which can be life-threatening.
The main symptoms of spotted fever include
In addition, after the development of fever, it is common to develop red spots on wrists and ankles, which do not sting, but that can increase towards the palms, arms or soles of the feet.
The symptoms of spotted fever can be difficult to identify, and therefore, whenever there is evidence of developing the disease, it is recommended to go to the emergency room to perform blood tests and confirm the infection, immediately initiating treatment with antibiotics.
Diagnosis can be made with tests such as the blood formula, which shows anemia, thrombocytopenia and decreased number of platelets, in addition, a review of the enzymes CK, LDH, ALT and AST is also indicated.
Transmission occurs through the bite of a star tick contaminated with Rickettsia rickettsii.By biting and feeding on the blood, the tick transmits the bacteria through its saliva.But it takes 6 to 10 hours of contact for this to happen, however, the bite The larvae of this tick can also transmit the disease and it is not possible to identify the location of its bite, as it does not cause pain, although it is sufficient for the transmission of the bacteria.
In Brazil, most cases occur in the southeast region and the animals that are usually hosts of this type of ticks are the capybara and the horse.
When the skin crosses the barrier, the bacteria reaches the brain, lungs, heart, liver, spleen, pancreas and digestive tract, so it is important to know how to identify and treat this disease as soon as possible to avoid further complications and even death..
The incubation period varies from 2 days to 2 weeks until the first symptoms appear.
Treatment of spotted fever should be guided by a general practitioner and should be initiated up to 5 days after the onset of symptoms, usually with antibiotics such as chloramphenicol or tetracyclines, to avoid serious complications.
Lack of treatment can affect the central nervous system and cause encephalitis, mental confusion, delusions, seizures and coma, in this case the bacteria can be identified in the CSF test, although the result is not always positive, the kidneys may be affected by renal failure, with swelling throughout the body. When the lungs are affected, there may be pneumonia and decreased breathing, which requires the use of oxygen.
Preventing spotted fever may include
If a tick is identified on the skin, it is recommended to go to the emergency room or health center to remove it properly and avoid the appearance of spotted fever for example.