title: Features of Brazilian spotted fever in two different endemic areas in Brazil.
abstract: Brazilian spotted fever (BSF) caused by Rickettsia rickettsii is the most important rickettsiosis and the only reportable tick-borne disease in Brazil. In Brazil, the hard tick Amblyomma cajennense is the most important BSF vector; however, in São Paulo State, A. aureolatum was also recognized as a vector species in remaining Atlantic forest areas near the metropolitan area of São Paulo city. We analyzed clinical and epidemiological features of BSF cases from two distinct areas where A. cajennense (Area 1) and A. aureolatum (Area 2) are the incriminated vectors. The clinical features demonstrate the same severity pattern of BSF in both endemic areas. Differences in seasonality, patient characteristics (median age and gender), and epidemiological risk factors (animals host contact and vegetation characteristics) were observed and possibly could be attributed to the characteristics of each vector and their typical biological cycle (hosts and environment).
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Vigilância Epidemiológica, Hospital de Clínicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, SP, Brazil. rodrigo.angerami@gmail.com
authors.forename: Rodrigo N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Angerami
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Câmara
authors.forename: Márcia R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Pacola
authors.forename: Regina C M
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Rezende
authors.forename: Raquel M R
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.forename: Elvira M M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Nascimento
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Colombo
authors.forename: Fabiana C P
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Ruth M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Leite
authors.forename: Gizelda
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: Luiz J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Silva
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D026863:Ixodidae / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012284:Rickettsia rickettsii / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012373:Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult