THE NEW INCREASE IN THE RATE OF CONTAMINATION AND DEATHS RESULTING FROM SPOTTED FEVER IN BRAZIL

Abstract

Rocky Mountain spotted fever is an infectious, acute febrile disease of variable severity. It can range from mild and atypical clinical forms to severe forms, with a high lethality rate. Rocky Mountain spotted fever is caused by a bacterium of the genus Rickettsia, transmitted by tick bites. In Brazil, two species of rickettsiae are associated with clinical conditions of Spotted Fever. Rickettsia rickettsii, which leads to Brazilian Spotted Fever (BSF), considered a serious disease, registered in the north of the state of Paraná and in the states of the Southeast Region. Rickettsia parkeri, which has been recorded in environments of the Atlantic Forest (Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Bahia and Ceará), producing less severe clinical conditions.The objective of this article wasto describe through a literature review, Rocky Mountain spotted fever in Brazil, forms of transmission, treatment, mortality and clinical manifestations.In Brazil, the main vectors are ticks of the genus Amblyomma, such as A. sculptum (= A. cajennense) known as the star tick, A. aureolatum and A. ovale. However, potentially, any species of tick can harbor the bacteria that cause Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, such as the dog tick.