title: A Rare Case of Mediterranean Spotted Fever and Encephalitis.
abstract: Mediterranean spotted fever is a tick-borne zoonotic disease caused byRickettsia conorii. It is transmitted by the dog tickRhipicephalus sanguineus. It usually presents as a benign self-limited disease characterized by a skin rash, high fever, and, sometimes, a characteristic ulcer at the tick bite site calledtache noir. The course of this disease is usually benign, although severe manifestations have been previously described, mainly in adults. Neurological manifestations are very unusual. We present a case of Mediterranean spotted fever with encephalitis to highlight the importance of clinical suspicion, mainly in endemic areas, the potential severity of this disease, and the need of early initiation of therapy in order to prevent severe complications.
authors.affiliation: 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Distrital de Santarém, Santarém, Portugal.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8932-2580
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sousa Almeida
authors.affiliation: 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Distrital de Santarém, Santarém, Portugal.
authors.forename: Petra M
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2104-3793
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Pego
authors.affiliation: 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Distrital de Santarém, Santarém, Portugal.
authors.forename: Maria João
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.affiliation: 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Distrital de Santarém, Santarém, Portugal.
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Matos Costa