First Urban Case of Rickettsia parkeri (Atlantic Rainforest Strain) Rickettsiosis in Mérida, Mexico A Case Report.
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Case description:
The first human case of infection with the Rickettsia parkeri Atlantic Rainforest strain in an 8-year-old male patient in an urban environment is presented.
Clinical findings:
The patient reporting a tick bite presented with fever (38°C), myalgia, abdominal pain, arthralgia, and mild lymphadenopathy in the right axilla. A lesion was observed at the tick-bite site.
Treatment and results:
A biopsy sample was obtained from the tick bite area for diagnosis by PCR and DNA sequencing, yielding 100% homology with the Rickettsia parkeri Atlantic Rainforest strain reported in human cases in Brazil. Treatment consisted of 100mg of doxycycline for 10 days, with symptoms ceasing 24 hours after the start of treatment.
Clinical relevance:
We report the first case of rickettsiosis by Rickettsia parkeri in an urban area in Mexico. Infection is considered mild to moderate, but it is unusual in urban environments. Medics should be concerned about the clinical manifestations associated with tick bites, particularly when lymphadenopathy is present.
- Rickettsia parkeri
- Amblyomma
- Rickettsia rickettsii
- Tick Bites
- Doxycycline
- Rhipicephalus sanguineus
- Dermacentor
- Rickettsia Infections
Gaspar Fernando Peniche-Lara, Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5202-937X
Universidad Autonoma de Yucatan. Merida, Yucatán, México
Karla Dzul-Rosado, Laboratorio de Enfermedades Emergentes y Re-emergentes. Centro de Investigaciones Regionales "Dr. Hideyo Noguchi". Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán. México
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3729-3797
Associate Researcher Professor with a line of research in the development of DNA vaccines, immunology, and social research related to diseases caused by Rickettsia species in Yucatán, Mexico
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Accepted 2025-10-21
Published 2025-09-30
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