Update on spotted fever group Rickettsiae in South Africa

Abstract

Until very recently, Mediterranean spotted fever caused by Rickettsia conorii was the only spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsioses recognized in southern Africa. However, increasing medical awareness of tick-borne infections, together with the introduction of improved isolation methods and the availability of molecular techniques, have led to the identification of several new SFG rickettsioses in the region. African tick bite fever, caused by Rickettsia africae, is currently the most important of these new rickettsioses, affecting large numbers of international travellers each year, but infections due to Rickettsia aeschlimannii and Rickettsia mongolotimonae have also been recently encountered. In this review, we describe the current status of the epidemiology, microbiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of SFG rickettsioses in southern Africa.