Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, University of the Republic, Montevideo, Uruguay
Address for correspondence: Ismael A. Conti Diaz, Ex-Professor and Chairman, Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, University of the Republic, Montevideo, Uruguay.
ismaelconti{at}mixmail.com
Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 990: 264-266 (2003).
The first three human cases of rickettsiosis caused by
Rickettsia conorii in Montevideo, Uruguay were described in 1990. All of
them showed an initial papulosquamous lesion on the scalp from
a canine tick bite (
Amblyomma triste). At the same time, fever
and regional adenopathies were observed. Serological diagnosis
was made by the indirect IgM immunofluorescent technique on
glass smears of
R. conorii (Biomerieux Laboratories, France).
All patients had a benign disease course after been treated
with oral tetracyclines. Other authors later developed clinical
and serological studies for
R. conorii rickettsiosis in a nearby
county, confirming our original findings. The
tache noir and
a light exanthema were also noticed. We have seen several similar
cases since that date. Most of them were from rural areas, and
two presented with the classical
tache noir and a maculopapular
rash with severe symptomatology.
A. triste, a South American
tick with deep anthropophilia, appears as the usual transmitting
vector of the disease in the country. A review of the literature
reveals a very intriguing absence of similar cases in the Americas
including the USA. New studies are necessary to resolve this
issue. The possibility that a new species of rickettsia responsible
for the disease in Uruguay is also considered.
