Hospital F.J. Muniz, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Emerg Infect Dis. 2011 Jul;17(7):1169-73. doi: 10.3201/eid1707.101857.
Rickettsia parkeri, a recently identified cause of spotted fever rickettsiosis in the United States, has been found in Amblyomma triste ticks in several countries of South America, including Argentina, where it is believed to cause disease in humans. We describe the clinical and epidemiologic characteristics of 2 patients in Argentina with confirmed R. parkeri infection and 7 additional patients with suspected R. parkeri rickettsiosis identified at 1 hospital during 2004-2009. The frequency and character of clinical signs and symptoms among these 9 patients closely resembled those described for patients in the United States (presence of an inoculation eschar, maculopapular rash often associated with pustules or vesicles, infrequent gastrointestinal manifestations, and relatively benign clinical course). Many R. parkeri infections in South America are likely to be misdiagnosed as other infectious diseases, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever, dengue, or leptospirosis.
帕克氏立克次体是一种新近确定的美国斑点热立克次体病的病因，已在包括阿根廷在内的南美洲多个国家的孤星钝缘蜱中发现，据信在阿根廷它可引起人类疾病。我们描述了 2 例在阿根廷经确认帕克氏立克次体感染的患者以及在 2004-2009 年期间在 1 家医院中发现的另外 7 例疑似帕克氏立克次体斑点热患者的临床和流行病学特征。这 9 例患者的临床体征和症状的出现频率和特征与在美国患者中描述的非常相似（存在接种性焦痂、常伴有脓疱或水疱的斑丘疹、胃肠道表现不常见以及相对良性的临床病程）。南美洲的许多帕克氏立克次体感染可能被误诊为其他传染病，包括落矶山斑点热、登革热或钩端螺旋体病。
