Unidade de Infeciologia, Área de Pediatria Médica. Hospital de Dona Estefânia, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central, EPE, Lisboa
Abstract
Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) is a tick-borne rickettsial disease, endemic in Portugal. It is caused by Rickettsia conorii and clinically characterized by a vasculitic process with the classical clinical triad: fever, rash and lesion at the site of tick bite.
It is accidentally transmitted to the human by its main vector, the Rhipicephalus sanguineus arthropod. Usually the disease develops after an infected tick bite but atypical forms of transmission such as mucosal contamination or inhalation have also been reportedinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
