Tick–borne lymphadenopathy–like condition in an African woman in Kenya

Abstract

A 30-year-old African woman in Kenya succumbed to severe swollen regional lymph nodes, development of painful boils and ulcer formation and rashes at specific tick-biting sites together with an intermittent fever and headache following repeated tick bites of Rhipicephalus pulchellus. She later developed nuchal lymphadenopathy-like condition and an eschar with edematous margins at bitten sites. A sustained high fever and fatigue then followed. She became well after treatment with antibiotics and topical application of anti-histamine daily for a week. This pose dangers of emerging tick-borne pathogens such as this one as their epidemiology, biology,socio-economics and prognosis remain unknown.

Key words: Human host, inflammation, Rhipicephalus pulchellus, tick bites, tick-borne pathogens