title: Human Rickettsia aeschlimannii infection: first case with acute hepatitis and review of the literature.
abstract: Rickettsia conorii is responsible for the Mediterranean Spotted Fever. Recently, new rickettsial species have been recognized in Europe and implicated in human diseases. Clinical features often differ greatly from each other, but non-severe liver involvement is frequently observed during any rickettsial infection.
  
  
  
  We describe the unique case of a patient presented with significant high aminotransferase levels due to the first human R. aeschlimannii infection ever detected in Italy. The hypothesis of rickettsiosis was made on the basis of a comprehensive medical history and was confirmed by serological tests. Molecular analyses made on a sample of hepatic tissue revealed the presence of a rickettsial species never found before in human liver.
  
  
  
  A brief review of the literature is reported to highlight how relevant this case is and to remind that rickettsioses should be in the differential diagnoses of acute hepatitis, considering mostly the recent spread of new rickettsial species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences, Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology Unit, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Gemelli Hospital, School of Medicine, Rome, Italy. giovanni.addolorato@unicatt.it.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tosoni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mirijello
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ciervo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rezza
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Damiano
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cauda
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gasbarrini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Addolorato
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012281:Rickettsia; D012282:Rickettsia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology