Spotted fever – Brazil

A military police officer passed away from spotted fever in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and another police officer is suspected to be infected.

It is likely that the 2 police officers became infected during a military police course in the forest which was later suspended after the cases were confirmed.

Spotted fever is caused by bacteria of the genus Rickettsia and is transmitted through infected tick bites.A spotted fever is a tick-borne disease which presents on the skin. They are all caused by bacteria of the genus Rickettsia. Types of spotted fevers include:

Mediterranean spotted fever
Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Queensland tick typhus
Helvetica spotted fever

When bitten by ticks, it is important to remove them with fine tweezers at the base where they attach the skin. Once removed, the skin should be disinfected thoroughly. Always keep removed ticks in a closed container for a couple of weeks, until sure you did not catch an infection.

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