Marseilles fever: Common knowledge and clinical case presentation

Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF), also known as Marseilles fever (MF) is a tick-borne infectious disease caused by Rickettsia conorii subspecies conorii (R conorii), Gram-negative, intracellular bacterium. It is transmitted by the brown dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus that is vector and reservoir of R. conorii. MSF is characterized by diverse clinical manifestations, presenting with both typical and atypical features, making the early diagnosis of the disease challenging. Mild clinical forms are usually observed in children, while complications of MSF are more common in patients with underlying disease or in elderly persons. In Bulgaria, Mediterranean spotted fever is subject to mandatory registration, according to the current Regulation 21 of 2005 on the procedure for registration, notification and reporting of infectious diseases.