In five years, the Epidemiological Surveillance Service has reported only one case of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in the municipality of Chapeco in western Santa Catarina. The disease is transmitted by the bite of a tick infected with bacteria of the genus Rickettsia.

Transmission of Rocky Mountain spotted fever occurs only through contact with a star tick infected with bacteria of the genus Rickettsia — Photo: Jerry Kirkhart/Wikimedia/Agência Brasil

Chapeco has had eight suspicious cases since 2012, seven of which were dismissed, with the only confirmation occurring in 2019. According to the city epidemiological surveillance, there were no deaths.

Already throughout Santa Catarina, according to DIVE (Council for Epidemiological Surveillance), 610 confirmed cases have been registered in 17 years. In 2014 and 2020, the highest number of confirmations were recorded: 52 infections per year. This year, there have been 18 confirmed cases so far in 13 municipalities of Santa Catarina.

In a note released this Thursday (14), the Epidemiological Surveillance Board explained that mild cases of spotted fever have been reported in Santa Catarina. The greatest amount of pollution in Blumenau (05) and Jaragua do Sul (02). The rest of the municipalities appear with only one case each.

Cities in the UK where the disease has been confirmed, according to DIVE:

• Blumenau (5)
• South Jaragua (2)
• Grand Couple (1)
• Corpus (1)
• Benedito Novo (1)
• Cinnamon (1)
• Joinville (1)
• Cedar River (1)
• Sao Bento do Sul (1)
• Urusanga (1)
• Luis Alves (1)
• Massaranduba (1)
• Orleans (1)

“Symptoms may appear between the second and 14th day of exposure. It is always important to seek medical attention if signs and symptoms occur. The doctor will make an assessment to find out if the person lives and/or has been in the woods, woods, farms, eco-trails and has not been bitten by a tick. In addition, tests are being carried out to confirm the diagnosis,” emphasizes Ivania Folster, zoonoses manager of the Epidemiological Surveillance Department of the UK.

Brazil has recorded 53 cases of spotted fever and eight deaths, according to data from the Ministry of Health, updated Wednesday. All deaths have occurred in the South East region – six in Sao Paulo, one in Minas Gerais and one in Rio de Janeiro. As for the number of cases, the highest concentration of incidence was confirmed in the South-Eastern (30) and Southern (17) regions.

Symptoms

Symptoms of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever:

• Heat;
• Headache;
• Severe myalgia;
• General malaise;
• Nausea and vomiting;
• Maculopapular rash (predominantly affects the palms and soles)
• lymphadenopathy;
• Grafting scab (injury at the site of tick suction).

According to the folder, as soon as the first symptoms appear, the patient must go to medical facilities for medical examination and treatment available in the Unified Health System (UHS). According to the ministry, it promoted periodic training activities aimed at state and municipal surveillance, involving specialists in surveillance and health care.

A note in the folder states that the antimicrobial is used to treat Rocky Mountain spotted fever and that all federal units are provided with priority drugs for the disease, including São Paulo. The note also says it has a strategic headroom to send new shipments to states that need it.

pollution

Transmission of Rocky Mountain spotted fever occurs only through contact with a star tick infected with bacteria of the genus Rickettsia. Therefore, there is no person-to-person transmission. This type of parasite is especially common in capybaras.

Since 2022, Santa Catarina has been the benchmark of the southern region for tick identification through the Entomology Laboratory of the Epidemiological Surveillance Department.

Ticks collected as part of environmental surveillance activities are identified by the Laboratory and then sent to the National Reference Laboratory for Rickettsia Vectors – Fiocruz/Ministry of Health for Rickettsia testing.