Rare Bacterial Infection Reported in California
This year, the California Department of Public Health confirmed a case of Rickettsia lanei infection. It’s noteworthy because the individual is just the third person in California and only the fourth globally to test positive since the bacterium was first recognized in Sonoma County back in 2018. It was identified in ticks found on rabbits.
Rickettsia lanei can lead to severe symptoms, such as fever, gangrene, coma, and brain inflammation. This bacterium belongs to a group associated with diseases called spotted fever rickettsioses. Among these, Rocky Mountain spotted fever is particularly deadly, with fatality rates in the U.S. ranging from 5% to 10%.
Anne Kjemtrup, a research scientist with the California Department of Public Health, mentioned that while infections are rare, they can be “fairly severe.” She pointed out that Rickettsia lanei triggers similar symptoms to those of Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Details of this latest case remain limited, only confirming the individual was diagnosed in California this year. However, it is important to note that while such cases of Rickettsia lanei are uncommon, thousands are infected annually with various forms of spotted fever across the U.S. Common symptoms include fever, muscle aches, and sometimes a distinctive rash.
Doxycycline is usually the recommended treatment for spotted fever rickettsioses. Yet, delaying treatment for Rocky Mountain spotted fever, even by a few days, can significantly increase the risk of death. Kjemtrup stressed the importance of seeking immediate medical attention if one experiences symptoms, especially after tick exposure.
In a recent case, a man exhibited flu-like symptoms after visiting a Bay Area emergency room. His condition deteriorated rapidly, leading to intensive care treatment. After extensive testing, physicians suspected a rickettsial disease and began doxycycline treatment. Though he suffered serious complications, he eventually recovered after 22 days in the hospital.
Experts recently identified Rickettsia lanei in certain Pacific Coast ticks along California’s coastline, including one found in Contra Costa County, where the infected individual had reportedly played golf. Kjemtrup highlighted the significance of being aware of this particular tick species.
Janet Foley, a veterinarian at UC Davis, noted the gravity of diseases like Rocky Mountain spotted fever, calling it “the most dangerous, highly lethal vector-borne disease” in the Americas and stressing that it is even more lethal than hantavirus.
As summer approaches, Foley advises people engaging in outdoor activities to take precautions: stay on trails, avoid tall grasses, and check for ticks after returning home. She remarked that even though these infections are rare, there’s still a lot to learn about how they affect people and their ecosystems.
“There’s so much we don’t know,” she concluded.
