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African tick bite fever - papulovesicular exanthem with fever after staying in South Africa
Journal
Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft
Volume
6
Number
5
Pages / Article-Number
379-81
Mesh terms
Anti-Bacterial Agents, therapeutic use; Diagnosis, Differential; Doxycycline, therapeutic use; Exanthema, diagnosis, drug therapy; Female; Fever, diagnosis, drug therapy; Humans; Middle Aged; Rickettsia Infections, diagnosis, drug therapy; Skin Diseases, Papulosquamous, diagnosis, drug therapy; South Africa; Tick-Borne Diseases, diagnosis, drug therapy; Travel; Treatment Outcome
Abstract
In the wake of expanding international tourism, rickettsioses are increasingly observed also in central Europe. African tick bite fever is a recently described, acute febrile illness with characteristic skin lesions. It is caused by Rickettsia africae, which is transmitted to humans by ticks of the Amblyomma genus. A 60-year-old woman presented with a papulovesic-ular exanthem, fever, and headache after returning from South Africa. A purple nodule with central necrosis ("tache noire"or "inoculation eschar") was noticed on the lower leg. Antibodies against rickettsia of the spotted fever group were detected serologically. Oral doxycycline led to clearance of the disease after few days of treatment.