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California resident becomes just the fourth person in the world to become infected with tick-borne illness, officials say
Yahoo • • health
Key Points:
- A fourth global and third California case of the rare tick-borne bacterial infection Rickettsia lanei was diagnosed in April, likely contracted in Northern California.
- Rickettsia lanei, related to the bacteria causing Rocky Mountain spotted fever, can cause severe symptoms including gangrene, coma, and death, though human transmission remains extremely rare.
- The pathogen was first identified in California rabbit ticks in 2018 and added to the state's list of transmittable pathogens in 2024 after analyzing cases from 2004 and 2023 involving outdoor exposure.
- Health officials urge physicians to consider early treatment with doxycycline for patients reporting tick bites and advise residents to avoid tall grasses, stay on trails, check for ticks, and seek medical care if symptoms develop.
- Additional concerns in California include a possible hantavirus case in a prison inmate and the spread of a seasonal flu virus detected in wastewater, which can cause pneumonia and bronchitis.
