Rickettsia conorii subsp. israelensis infection: a case report from southeast Iran

Mina Latifian; Mohammad Khalili; Mehrdad Farrokhnia; Ehsan Mostafavi; Saber Esmaeili

doi:10.1186/s12879-022-07291-9

Rickettsia conorii subsp. israelensis infection: a case report from southeast Iran

BMC Infect Dis. 2022 Apr 1;22(1):320. doi: 10.1186/s12879-022-07291-9.

Authors

Mina Latifian^{1

2}, Mohammad Khalili³, Mehrdad Farrokhnia⁴, Ehsan Mostafavi^{1

2}, Saber Esmaeili^{5

6}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
² National Reference Laboratory for Plague, Tularemia and Q Fever, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Akanlu, KabudarAhang, Hamadan, Iran.
³ Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran.
⁴ Infectious and Tropical Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
⁵ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran. dr.saberesmaeili@gmail.com.
⁶ National Reference Laboratory for Plague, Tularemia and Q Fever, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Akanlu, KabudarAhang, Hamadan, Iran. dr.saberesmaeili@gmail.com.

Abstract

Background: Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) is a zoonotic and vector-borne disease caused by Rickettsia conorii. We report a case (36 year-old-woman) of MSF caused by Rickettsia conorii from Iran.

Case presentation: In September 2019, the patient was admitted to the hospital in Kerman province with flu-like symptoms and maculopapular lesions. According to the laboratory results, thrombocytopenia, elevated liver enzymes, and cardiac enzymes were observed. Skin biopsy was examined for Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) and MSF using the Real-Time-PCR and ELISA method. Finally, the sample was positive for Rickettsia conorii subsp. israelensis and treated with doxycycline and completely recovered.

Conclusions: This study showed that MSF could be present in Iran. Therefore, identifying endemic areas in Iran for this disease should be on the agenda.

Keywords: Iran; Mediterranean spotted fever; Rickettsia conorii.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Adult
Female
Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, Crimean-Congo*
Hemorrhagic Fever, Crimean*
Humans
Iran
Rickettsia*

Supplementary concepts

Rickettsia conorii subsp. israelensis