RESUMO
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is an uncommon and potentially severe illness. TBE virus is transmitted to the humans by an infected tick and it spreads to the central nervous system determining various clinical pictures. A case in which TBE virus caused an encephalomyelitis with quadriplegia and respiratory insufficiency that persist one year after the diagnosis, is reported. Such a clinical manifestation of TBE has never been described in Italy till now.
Assuntos
Encefalite Transmitida por Carrapatos/complicações , Quadriplegia/etiologia , Insuficiência Respiratória/etiologia , Adulto , Encefalite Transmitida por Carrapatos/patologia , Encefalite Transmitida por Carrapatos/terapia , Humanos , Masculino , Quadriplegia/patologia , Insuficiência Respiratória/patologiaRESUMO
In May 1999, a cluster of cases of African tick-bite fever was detected in six Italian tourists who had returned from South Africa. All of the patients had moderate fever and cutaneous eschars. Regional lymphangitis was observed in three of the patients and skin rash in two. By comparing the number of eschars with the number of detectable bite sites it was suggested that at least two-thirds of the biting vectors were capable of transmitting Rickettsia africae. The clinical course of disease was mild in all cases, and all but one of the patients recovered spontaneously before antibiotic treatment was initiated. The diagnosis of African tick-bite fever was confirmed serologically using both microimmunofluorescence and Western blot tests.