Definition:
Queensland tick typhus - also alternatively known as Spotted Fever or Rickettsial Spotted Fever - is a type of bacterial parasitic disorder.
Diagnosis:
Patients undergo a physical exam with doctor looking for tick bite marks, which are round, reddish punctures in the skin. Specifically, a diagnostic serology is available by way of the IgM and Weil-Felix tests.
Treatment:
It is advised to let this disease run its course, which may take up to 2 weeks. Antibiotics may also be prescribed for faster healing.
Symptoms and Signs:
A fever is developed after a tick bite withing 1 to 14 days (usually 7-10 days). More symptoms may also include: headache, muscle aches (myalgia), stiff neck, vomiting, nausea, and mental confusion. An eschar or an inoculation lesion of 2-5 mm in diameter can be seen in 65% of cases. In most cases, only one eschar is identified. Later, red spots or blistering rashes may develop on the face, palms and soles. Lymphadenopathy, Arthralgia, conjunctivitis, pharyngitis, dry cough, as well as pain in the abdomen may also be experienced.
Causes:
Queensland tick typhus is caused by rickettsia australis, an obligate, intracellular bacterial parasite that reproduces in the endothelial cells of tinyblood vessels that cause vasculitis.
