Rickettsial infections of the central nervous system
[CanLyme Note: The Canadian medical community is absolutely under-informed on tick-borne disease. Medical leadership in Canada, managed by non-medical (PHAC), medically unethical (AMMI), scientifically unethical (CIHR), taxpayer funded gatekeepers for the for-profit medical industry insure never ending sickness that generates billions of dollars while denying access to policy making decisions of those most affected… patients and their experts. When will there finally be a federal inquiry into PHAC and CIHR? When will our political leaders (who typically take the easy route by deferring to the same corrupt bunch who are killing and maiming Canadians) demand an inquiry? People are dying or becoming permanently disabled in the thousands each year while denied access to health care.]
,Published: August 29, 2019 doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0007469
Abstract
As a result of migrations and globalization, people may face a possible increase in the incidence of central nervous system rickettsial infections (CNS R). These diseases, caused by Rickettsia species and transmitted to humans by arthropod bites, are putatively lethal. However, the diagnosis of CNS R is challenging and often delayed due to their nonspecific clinical presentation and the strict intracellular nature of rickettsiae. Furthermore, transfer of rickettsiae to the brain parenchyma is not yet understood. The aim of this review is to analyze and summarize the features and correlated findings of CNS R in order to focus attention on these intriguing but frequently neglected illnesses. We also incorporated data on CNS infections caused by Rickettsia-related microorganisms.
