Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

African tick bite fever.

Mogens Jensenius1, Pierre-Edouard Fournier, Patrick Kelly

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Aker University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. mogens.jensenius@ioks.uio.no

The Lancet. Infectious Diseases
|September 5, 2003
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Schistosomiasis in European Travelers and Migrants: Analysis of 14 Years TropNet Surveillance Data.

The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene·2017
Same author

Treatment of malaria in Norway.

Tidsskrift for den Norske laegeforening : tidsskrift for praktisk medicin, ny raekke·2012
Same author

The incidence of malaria in travellers to South-East Asia: is local malaria transmission a useful risk indicator?

Malaria journal·2010
Same author

[A fifth plasmodium that can cause malaria].

Tidsskrift for den Norske laegeforening : tidsskrift for praktisk medicin, ny raekke·2010
Same author

Gastro-intestinal symptoms associated with intense Schistosoma mansoni infection affect class-attentiveness of schoolchildren in Ethiopia.

Acta tropica·2009
Same author

Proceedings of a joint meeting between the Norwegian Society of Infectious Diseases and the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Oslo, 20 June 2008.

Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene·2008
Same journal

Expert consensus on case definitions in human loiasis: a Delphi study.

The Lancet. Infectious diseases·2026
Same journal

The Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak: a warning signal for risks to health workers.

The Lancet. Infectious diseases·2026
Same journal

Trials of medical countermeasures to begin in DR Congo.

The Lancet. Infectious diseases·2026
Same journal

Community-based tuberculosis screening with computer-aided detection technology alone and in combination with point-of-care C-reactive protein testing: a paired screen-positive trial.

The Lancet. Infectious diseases·2026
Same journal

Context matters: WHO-recommended tools in combinations validated for community tuberculosis screening.

The Lancet. Infectious diseases·2026
Same journal

Global, regional, and national burden of tuberculosis and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis by HIV status, 1990-2023: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023.

The Lancet. Infectious diseases·2026
See all related articles

African tick bite fever, caused by Rickettsia africae, presents with fever, headache, and skin lesions. Prompt doxycycline treatment aids recovery, but early diagnosis can be challenging for travelers.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Tropical Medicine
  • Rickettsial Diseases

Background:

  • African tick bite fever (ATBF) is an acute febrile illness endemic in sub-Saharan Africa and the French West Indies.
  • The disease is caused by Rickettsia africae, a spotted fever group rickettsia transmitted by Amblyomma ticks.
  • While historically underreported in indigenous populations, ATBF cases in international travelers have notably increased.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To summarize the clinical presentation, etiology, transmission, diagnosis, and treatment of African tick bite fever.
  • To highlight the rising incidence of ATBF among travelers to endemic regions.
  • To provide recommendations for prevention and management.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on African tick bite fever.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analysis of clinical case reports and epidemiological data.
  • Summary of diagnostic approaches and treatment outcomes.

    • Main Results:

    • Common symptoms include fever, headache, myalgia, inoculation eschars, and regional lymphadenitis.
    • Rickettsia africae, transmitted by Amblyomma ticks, is the causative agent.
    • Doxycycline is an effective treatment, leading to rapid recovery in most cases.
    • Diagnosis via immunofluorescence assay is recommended, though delayed seroconversion can limit its early utility.

    Conclusions:

    • African tick bite fever poses a significant risk to travelers visiting endemic areas.
    • Early recognition and prompt treatment with doxycycline are crucial for favorable outcomes.
    • Public health awareness and personal protective measures against tick bites are essential for prevention.