A Californian has been infected with a rare tick-borne disease. What you should know

A Northern California resident has been confirmed to be the fourth person to be diagnosed with a newly recognized and rare tick-borne disease that causes symptoms similar to Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

The California Department of Public Health confirmed the latest case Rickettsia lanei bacteria in a patient who was diagnosed in April of this year. Two other cases in California were reported in 2004 and 2023.

Public health officials told The Times that the person who contracted the virus was “very ill, hospitalized and out and about on the mend.”

It is not clear how long the person had been in the hospital and what symptoms he had. The federal agency said it could not disclose the state of the person but confirmed that the person with the virus lives and works in Northern California.

Rickettsia lanei occurs in the spotted fever group Rickettsiaviruses are transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected tick.

In California there are three types of ticks – the American dog tick (Dermacentor analogy)Pacific Coast tick (Dermacentor occidentalis) and the brown dog tick (Rhipcephalus sanguineus) – can transmit the bacteria that causes Rocky Mountain spotted fever to humans and dogs, according to the California Department of Public Health.

Symptoms of Rocky Mountain spotted fever can range from a fever and rash to long-term effects including damage to internal organs or mental disorders.

The tick-borne disease has been spreading around the world since the early 2000s, particularly in Mexico and Brazil, with reported mortality rates exceeding 50%, according to a study published by UC Davis.

What is Rickettsia lanei?

Rickettsia lanei The virus has been identified this year in several Pacific Coast cases, including a case in Contra Costa County, according to SFGate, where the latest case was first reported in April.

This new virus was added to the list of viruses that may be transmitted in 2024 by the public health department after its severe symptoms were studied in two cases of men infected with the virus 20 years apart, according to a report published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Emerging and Infectious Diseases journal.

“Continued investment in public health has enabled the development of advanced molecular tools to detect these diseases,” the California Department of Public Health said in a statement sent to The Times.

According to the report, both men became ill after spending time outdoors, one playing golf at five courses in Alameda and Contra Costa counties within 14 days of the onset of his symptoms. This first patient developed fever, headache, muscle pain, malaise, loss of appetite, diarrhea and abdominal pain, among other symptoms. His condition worsened on the third day in the hospital, according to the report. The man ended up in the hospital for 22 days, including 11 in the intensive care unit and was diagnosed with mountain stone fever and a second diagnosis of kidney damage.

Another infected person had visited and camped at a state park and state beach in San Mateo and Marin counties. The second man reported a five-day history of headache, vomiting, mild sensitivity, neck pain and confusion, according to the report. On the third day of his stay in the hospital, the man fell unconscious and was intubated, the report said. After 13 days, he was discharged with a primary diagnosis Rickettsia.

Researchers know about Rickettsia lanei since 2018 when rabbit ticks were found in Sonoma County, but they did not know that their danger might exist in humans because rabbit ticks rarely bite people.

“The Pacific Coast tick, which bites people frequently, can sometimes find a host in a rabbit, which is the most likely form of the rare human infection that has been identified,” the state health agency said.

Should I be concerned about contracting Rickettsia lanei?

Human infection is rare but underreported because Rickettsia lanei the symptoms are very similar to those of mountain stone fever, said Janet Foley, a veterinarian and disease ecologist at UC Davis.

“I think it’s so new that I don’t know if anyone has actually gotten funding to study it or put it under a microscope,” Foley said.

Rickettsia lanei The bacteria may have gone undetected for a long time because some conditions were less severe, he said.

Foley said Californians should take note Rickettsia lanei and take precautions against tick bites.

How to keep disease-carrying ticks away

The best way to avoid ticks and tick bites is to be vigilant in your area, Foley said, noting that ticks can transmit other diseases such as Lyme disease.

To avoid disease-carrying ticks, Foley recommends:

• Covering your arms and legs when you’re outside by wearing pants and long-sleeved shirts.
• Sitting outside on the grass where a tick can stick to your clothes. Instead stay on the clean path.
• Wearing light colored clothes so that you can easily see the scent if someone jumps on you.
• After work outside, take off your clothes, throw them in the washing machine and take a shower.
• If your dog goes with you on outdoor activities, wash it and apply tick spray.