Rickettsiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever a current public health problem

Resumo

Rickettsioses are a group of bacterial infections of zoonotic origin caused by intracellular bacteria of the genera Rickettsia and Orientia. These infections are transmitted to humans by arthropod vectors such as ticks, fleas, lice and mites. These illnes present clinically as acute febrile illnesses accompanied by symptoms such as headache, myalgia and general malaise, as well as skin manifestations that may include rash and scars and vary according to the species of rickettsia identified. From the point of view of public health and its impact on the population, the most important is Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), a serious infection caused by the bacteria, Rickettsia rickettsii, a pleomorphic, obligate intracellular coccobacillus, which was discovered in 1908 by Howard Ricketts who died of rickettsiosis in 1910 in Mexico, was first described in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States, and has been reported in Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Brazil and Argentina. In Mexico, the most affected region is the north of the country, where the fatality rate reaches an average of 30%, mainly affecting the vulnerable population, including children and adults in conditions of poverty, overcrowding and unhealthy environments.