AI Article Synopsis
- TBRF is a zoonotic disease caused by Borrelia spirochetes, mainly found in elevated coniferous forests of the western U.S.
- A case study details a 44-year-old man in Colorado who exhibited severe symptoms like fever and chills, and was diagnosed with TBRF after laboratory tests showed Borrelia spirochetes in his blood.
- Emergency physicians should be familiar with TBRF due to its nonspecific symptoms and potential for severe illness, especially in patients from or traveling to high-altitude forest regions.
Article Abstract
Background: Tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF) is a zoonosis caused by spirochetes of the genus Borrelia. The zoonosis is endemic in higher-elevation coniferous forests of the western United States.
Case Report: We discuss the case of a 44-year-old male residing in the San Juan Mountains of Western Colorado who presented with fever, myalgia, vomiting, and "violent chills" to an emergency department. Laboratory studies were notable for bandemia and thrombocytopenia with mild hyperbilirubinemia. Peripheral smear demonstrated multiple Borrelia spirochetes. The patient was treated with parenteral ceftriaxone and discharged with oral doxycycline therapy and recovered uneventfully. We discuss the clinical and epidemiological features of TBRF and the salient points for clinical diagnosis and management of this rare but important disease entity. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: TBRF is a rare and potentially life-threatening infectious process, which presents with nonspecific findings and often poses a diagnostic challenge. TBRF should be considered in the differential diagnosis for patients residing or vacationing in high-altitude forested areas in the western United States.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jemermed.2016.07.014 | DOI Listing |
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