Summary
African tick typhus, caused by Rickettsia conori, affects humans throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa. Widely distributed in Zimbabwe, it is particularly prevalent in the southern lowveld, where numerous cases were seen in troops during the civil unrest of the late 1970s. Recent experiences of visitors to our Heartwater Research Station in this area have confirmed its continuing prevalence. In view of recent reports of severely debilitating and sometimes fatal infections with R. conori throughout its range, as well as a tendancy by local physicians to treat the infection inadequately, we briefly review the diagnosis, treatment and vectors of the disease in Zimbabwe.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Brezina R, Kazan J (1989) Ch. 5, Rickettsial diseases. In: Goldsmith R, Heyneman D (eds) Tropical medicine and medical parasitology. Appleton and Lange, E Norwalk, CT, USA
Camicas J-L (1975) Conceptions actuelles sur l’épidémiologie de la Fièvre Boutonneuse dan la Région Ethiopienne et la Sous-Region Europeenne Méditerraneenne. Cah ORSTOM Ser Entomol Med Parasitol 13:229–232
Gear JHS (1954) The rickettsial diseases of South Africa. A review of recent studies. S Afr J Clin Sci 5:158–175
Gear JHS (1978) Tick-bite fever. S Afr J Hosp Med 4:45–49
Gear JHS, Miller GB, Martins H, Swanepoel R, Wolstenholme B, Coppin A (1983) Tick-bite fever in South Africa. The occurrence of severe cases on the Witwatersrand. S Afr Med J 63:807–810
Gear JHS, Wagner JM, Dyssell JCG, Hulton SA, Wehde SDG (1990) Severe tick-bite fever in young children. A report of 3 cases. S Afr Med J 77:422–424
Hoogstraal H (1956) African Ixodoidea I. Ticks of the Sudan (with special reference to Equatoria Province and with preliminary reviews of the genera Boophilus, Margaropus and Hyalomma). Res Rep NM 005 050.29.07 U.S. Govt, Dept of the Navy, Bur Med Surg, Washington, DC, pp 1101
Hoogstraal H (1967) Ticks in relation to human diseases caused by Rickettsia species. Annu Rev Entomol 12:377–420
Kelly PJ, Mason PR (1990) Serological typing of spotted fever group rickettsia isolates from Zimbabwe. J Clin Microbiol 28:2302–2304
Kucers A, Bennett NMcK (1981) The use of antibiotics. 3rd edn Wm. Heinemann Medical Books, London, pp 441, 624-625
McDade JE, Wells DE, Brooks JB, Alley CC (1981) Gas-liquid chromatography of acute-phase serum as a technique for early diagnosis of rickettsial diseases. In: Burgdorfer W, Anacker RL (eds) Rickettsiae and Rickettsial Diseases. Academic Press, New York, pp 631–639
Moraga FA, Martinez-Roig A, Alonso JL, Boronat M, Domingo F (1982) Boutonneuse fever. Arch Dis Child 57:149–151
Norval RAI (1983) The ticks of Zimbabwe. VII. The genus mblyomma. Zimbabwe Vet J 14:6–18
Raoult D, Weiller PJ, Chagnon A, Chaudet H, Gallais H, Casanova P (1986) Mediterranean spotted fever: clinical laboratory and epidemiological features of 199 cases. Am J Trop Med Hyg 35:845–850
Walker DH, Gear JHS (1985) Correlation of the distribution of Rickettsia conorii ,microscopic lesions, and clinical features in South African tick bite fever. Am J Trop Med Hyg 34:361–371
Walker DH, Staiti A, Mansueto S, Tringali G (1986) Frequent occurrence of hepatic lesions in boutonneuse fever. Acta Trop 43:175–181
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1992 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Yunker, C.E., Norval, R.A.I. (1992). Observations on African Tick Typhus (Tick-Bite Fever) in Zimbabwe. In: Tick Vector Biology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-76643-5_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-76643-5_11
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-76645-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-76643-5
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive