title: Mediterranean Spotted Fever: A Rare Non-Endemic Disease in the USA.
abstract: We report a case of a 43-year-old Israeli male who presented with an intermittent fever associated with a gradual appearance of diffusely scattered erythematous non-pruritic maculopapular lesions, generalized body malaise, muscle aches, and distal extremity weakness. He works in the Israeli military and has been exposed to dogs that are used to search for people in tunnels and claimed that he had removed ticks from the dogs. In the hospital, he presented with fever, a diffuse maculopapular rash, and an isolated round black eschar. He was started on doxycycline based on suspected Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) in which he improved significantly with resolution of his clinical complaints. His immunoglobulin G (IgG) MSF antibody came back positive.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Overlook Medical Center.
authors.forename: Joshua Brad
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Oaks
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Overlook Medical Center.
authors.forename: Glenmore
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lasam
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Overlook Medical Center.
authors.forename: Gina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: LaCapra
keywords: boutonneuse fever; brown dog tick; doxycycline; mediterranean spotted fever; rickettsia conorii; tache noire