Ultra Rare Tick-Borne Disease Found in California

A little-known tick-borne illness has quietly logged another human case in California, and scientists say it behaves a lot like one of the deadliest tick diseases in the Americas. SFGate reports that the California Department of Public Health confirmed a new Rickettsia lanei infection this year—only the third known case in the state and the fourth worldwide since the bacterium was first spotted in rabbit ticks in Sonoma County in 2018. Research scientist and veterinarian Anne Kjemtrup calls it rare but "fairly severe," noting it appears to produce "almost the same kind of disease as Rocky Mountain spotted fever," which can be fatal in up to 10% of US cases.

R. lanei is part of the spotted fever family, which can trigger fever, rash, organ damage, and even gangrene and coma if treatment is delayed. The go-to drug is doxycycline, and Kjemtrup urges doctors to start it "before they even wait for any test results" in patients with tick exposure and flu-like symptoms. For more on the mystery tick, the first Bay Area case, and how to protect yourself, read the full SFGate piece.