TY - JOUR AU - Galvão, Márcio Antonio Moreira AU - Dumler, J. Stephen AU - Mafra, Cláudio Lísias AU - Calic, Simone Berger AU - Chamone, Chequer Buffe AU - Filho, Gracco Cesarino AU - Olano, Juan Pablo AU - Walker, David H. T1 - Fatal Spotted Fever Rickettsiosis, Minas Gerais, Brazil T2 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal PY - 2003 VL - 9 IS - 11 SP - 1402 SN - 1080-6059 AB - The emergence and reemergence of a serious infectious disease are often associated with a high case-fatality rate because of misdiagnosis and inappropriate or delayed treatment. The current reemergence of spotted fever rickettsiosis caused by Rickettsia rickettsii in Brazil has resulted in a high proportion of fatal cases. We describe two familial clusters of Brazilian spotted fever in the state of Minas Gerais, involving six children 9 months to 15 years of age; five died. Immunohistochemical investigation of tissues obtained at necropsy of a child in each location, Novo Cruzeiro and Coronel Fabriciano municipalities, established the diagnosis by demonstration of disseminated endothelial infection with spotted fever group rickettsiae. The diagnosis in the two fatal cases from Coronel Fabriciano and the surviving patient from Novo Cruzeiro was further supported by immunofluorescence serologic tests. KW - Brazil DO - 10.3201/eid0911.030193 UR - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/9/11/03-0193_article ER - End of Reference