Indian tick fever

Indian tick fever, or Tsutsuga mushi (lat. Typhus abdominalis) is an acute human infectious disease caused by Rickettsia typhi, transmitted by ticks and occurring with chills, high fever, severe toxicosis, and sometimes with damage to the skin and lymph nodes. The typical clinical picture of the disease begins acutely, suddenly. Body temperature rises to 40 °C and above, which lasts about a week. Fever is accompanied by weakness, headache, myalgia, chills (tremors) and anorexia. On examination, pallor of the skin is noted; upon palpation, sweating and redness of the eyeballs become visible. As a rule, the rash appears 6-9 days after the fever rises. The rashes are represented by small vesicles and nodular elements of pink color, ranging in size from millet grains to plums. In typical cases, rashes are concentrated along the course of the vessels; less often, rashes do not occur in areas of lymph flow. There is no itching or pain in the lower back. On days 1-3 of illness, swelling of the face and neck may appear with the development of the “pig” face symptom. Diagnosis In a patient with suspected clinical disease, it is necessary to conduct skin tests. Preparations made from killed O. tsutsugamushi ticks are used, as well as carob beetles and shoots, which are suspected of infecting vectors. The Hoffmann microreaction and the reaction of complement fixation with homologous antigens are diagnostically reliable. VDRL reaction diagnoses within a month. Rheumatoid factor and C-reactive protein levels are elevated.