Rickettsia 364D

Rickettsia species 364D (Rickettsia philipii), the etiologic agent of Pacific Coast tick fever (PCTF). Transmitted to people by the Pacific Coast tick, Dermacentor occidentalis. As of 2016, fourteen cases (14) cases reported (all in California); 1st case in 2008. Most cases in Northern CA. The Pacific Coast tick’s range includes most of California, southern Oregon, and northern Baja California, Mexico.

Symptoms: Fever, headache, eschar(s) [Eschar is dead tissue that falls off (sheds) from healthy skin.]

Pacific Coast Tick3

Click here for journal article on Pacific Coast Tick Fever

Left: Pacific Coast Tick – Female, Male and Nymph (Photo: Ervic Aquino, CA Dept. Public Health)

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