12/01/2021
Veterinary colleagues and pet owners beware of Rickettsial diseases. In Australia they are a dangerous poorly known zoonosis from external parasites of mammals and reptiles.
Various species exist and are transmitted by arthropod vectors including fleas, ticks and mites but can also be inhaled from flea dirt.
I have handled many reptiles with mite infestations and did not realise that there was more risk to me than merely a transient pruritic rash.
The disease is severe and unpredictable.
Incubation up to 14 days.
Endothelial and smooth muscle tropism throughout the body causing vasculitis anywhere.
Some people get a rash. I did not.
Pyrexia above 39C. Major organs can be damaged and it can be life threatening. There can be long term consequences.
Within two weeks of handling a bluetongue lizard with a heavy mite infestation, I had pneumonia and sepsis with severe pyrexia 39.2C, followed by hypotension, myalgia, dyspnoea and cough for months.
Clinical infection resolved with 2 X 10 day courses of Doxycycline 100mg BD. The first course was a guess before the results came back. The second course was given when I relapsed, returned to hospital and my GP chased the results.
No longer coughing but still very quickly get a painful chest and abdomen, light headedness, slow brain and light sensitivity if I continue either light physical work or mentally taxing academic work once I feel tired. It resolves over the next 24 hours if I rest. I can do things for 2-4 hours a day most days but some days have to be written off totally.
