Connecticut has first human case of rare tick-borne disease; first in northeast
Published in News & Features
The first human case of a rare tick-borne illness has been reported in Connecticut.
The case also marks the first time Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis has appeared in the northeast, according to the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES).
The disease, which is transmitted by the Gulf Coast tick, is more common in the southeast U.S. It presents similarly to Rocky Mountain spotted fever, but with milder symptoms, CAES said.
The illness first presents as a scab where the person was bitten, then causes fever, headache, rash and muscle aches, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It can be treated with doxycycline, an antibiotic that kills bacterial infections.
Dr. Peter Krause, a Yale senior research scientist, told NBC Connecticut the ticks are moving north for their own survival.
“They’re ticks that normally wouldn’t be found here that are moving up and they are bringing diseases with them. They can transmit new disease that we haven’t seen before,” he warned.
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