A fatal urban case of rocky mountain spotted fever presenting an eschar in San Jose, Costa Rica

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2012 Aug;87(2):345-8. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.2012.12-0153.

Abstract

This study reports the first urban human case of Rocky Mountain spotted fever caused by Rickettsia rickettsii, in Costa Rica. An 8-year-old female who died at the National Children's Hospital 4 days after her admission, and an important and significant observation was the presence of an "eschar" (tache noire), which is typical in some rickettsial infections but not frequent in Rocky Mountain spotted fever cases.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biological Assay
  • Child
  • Costa Rica
  • DNA, Bacterial / chemistry
  • DNA, Bacterial / genetics
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Female
  • Histocytochemistry
  • Humans
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Rickettsia rickettsii / genetics
  • Rickettsia rickettsii / isolation & purification*
  • Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever / diagnosis*
  • Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever / immunology
  • Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever / microbiology
  • Urban Population

Substances

  • DNA, Bacterial