[Fatal case of rickettsiosis in a toddler from southeastern Mexico]
- PMID: 28097845
- DOI: 10.5546/aap.2017.e5
[Fatal case of rickettsiosis in a toddler from southeastern Mexico]
Abstract
Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a disease caused by Rickettsia rickettsii, a bacteria transmitted by infected ticks. It is characterized by fever, exanthema, arthralgias and myalgias; but sometimes its clinical presentation is non specific. Due to its similarities with other exanthematic diseases like dengue or chikungunya, Rocky Mountain spotted fever is not a first line diagnosis, even though countries like Mexico show the ecologic and socioeconomic characteristics that favor its transmission, with a 30% mortality rate among pediatric patients. This mortality rate has been associated to a delayed diagnosis and therapy, due to a poor knowledge among physicians regarding this disease; this favors the occurrence of atypical and fulminant cases. The objective of this work is to describe a fulminant case of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, expecting that this disease could be later considered among the differential diagnosis which could directly impact its mortality rate.
La fiebre manchada de las Montañas Rocosas es una enfermedad ocasionada por Rickettsia rickettsii, una bacteria transmitida por garrapatas infectadas, y que se caracteriza por fiebre, exantema, artralgias y mialgias, aunque, ocasionalmente, su presentación es inespecífica. Debido a que su evolución asemeja otras enfermedades exantemáticas, como dengue o chikungunya, su diagnóstico no es de primera intención, a pesar de que países como México tienen las características ecológicas y socioeconómicas propicias para su transmisión, con índices de mortalidad hasta de 30% en pacientes pediátricos. Esta elevada mortalidad se asocia a diagnósticos y terapia retrasados debido al desconocimiento médico acerca de la enfermedad, lo que propicia la aparición de formas atípicas y fulminantes de fiebre manchada de las Montañas Rocosas. El objetivo del presente trabajo es describir un caso clínico fulminante de fiebre manchada de las Montañas Rocosas para que sea considerada en el diagnóstico diferencial, lo cual impactaría directamente en los índices de mortalidad
Keywords: Rocky Mountain spotted fever; pediatrics; rickettsia infections; tick-borne disease.
Sociedad Argentina de Pediatría.
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