A Comparison of the Clinical and Epidemiological Profile of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever with Dengue and COVID-19 in Hospitalized Children, Sonora, México, 2015–2022
Background: Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is a challenge for physicians because the disease can mimic other endemic febrile illnesses, such as dengue and COVID-19. The comparison of their main clinical and epidemiological manifestations in hospitalized children can help identify characteristic...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/10/1/20 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832587387871428608 |
|---|---|
| author | Gerardo Álvarez-Hernández Cristian Noé Rivera-Rosas Jesús René Tadeo Calleja-López Jehan Bonizú Álvarez-Meza Maria del Carmen Candia-Plata Denica Cruz-Loustaunau Antonio Alvídrez-Labrado |
| author_facet | Gerardo Álvarez-Hernández Cristian Noé Rivera-Rosas Jesús René Tadeo Calleja-López Jehan Bonizú Álvarez-Meza Maria del Carmen Candia-Plata Denica Cruz-Loustaunau Antonio Alvídrez-Labrado |
| author_sort | Gerardo Álvarez-Hernández |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is a challenge for physicians because the disease can mimic other endemic febrile illnesses, such as dengue and COVID-19. The comparison of their main clinical and epidemiological manifestations in hospitalized children can help identify characteristics that improve empirical suspicion and timely therapeutic interventions. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a series of patients aged 0 to 18 years, hospitalized between 2015 and 2022, with a diagnosis of RMSF, dengue, or COVID-19. Data were retrieved from medical records. Subjects were categorized as patients with RMSF (group I) and patients with dengue and COVID-19 (group II). Descriptive statistics were used, and differences were evaluated using Student’s t-test and the chi-squared test. Results: A series of 305 subjects were studied, with 252 (82.6%) in group I. Subjects in both groups presented fever, myalgias, arthralgias, and rash, but exposure to ticks distinguished group I. The fatality rate (21.0%) in group I was higher than in group II (3.8%). Conclusions: Although fever, myalgias, arthralgias, and rash are common in all three illnesses, they are more prevalent in hospitalized patients with RMSF. In the presence of such symptoms, a history of tick exposure can guide clinical decisions in regions where all three diseases are endemic. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ca06800e004049bea42798a48b7b9cf3 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2414-6366 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease |
| spelling | doaj-art-ca06800e004049bea42798a48b7b9cf32025-01-24T13:51:24ZengMDPI AGTropical Medicine and Infectious Disease2414-63662025-01-011012010.3390/tropicalmed10010020A Comparison of the Clinical and Epidemiological Profile of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever with Dengue and COVID-19 in Hospitalized Children, Sonora, México, 2015–2022Gerardo Álvarez-Hernández0Cristian Noé Rivera-Rosas1Jesús René Tadeo Calleja-López2Jehan Bonizú Álvarez-Meza3Maria del Carmen Candia-Plata4Denica Cruz-Loustaunau5Antonio Alvídrez-Labrado6Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Sonora, Blvd. Luis D. Colosio SN, col. Centro, Hermosillo 83000, MexicoEpidemiological Surveillance Unit, Family Medicine Unit 53, Mexican Institute of Social Security, Zapopan 45100, MexicoInternal Medicine Service, General Zone Hospital 14, Mexican Institute of Social Security, Hermosillo 83260, MexicoChildren’s Hospital of the State of Sonora, Hermosillo 83100, MexicoDepartment of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Sonora, Blvd. Luis D. Colosio SN, col. Centro, Hermosillo 83000, MexicoChildren’s Hospital of the State of Sonora, Hermosillo 83100, MexicoDepartment of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Sonora, Ciudad Obregon 85199, MexicoBackground: Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is a challenge for physicians because the disease can mimic other endemic febrile illnesses, such as dengue and COVID-19. The comparison of their main clinical and epidemiological manifestations in hospitalized children can help identify characteristics that improve empirical suspicion and timely therapeutic interventions. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a series of patients aged 0 to 18 years, hospitalized between 2015 and 2022, with a diagnosis of RMSF, dengue, or COVID-19. Data were retrieved from medical records. Subjects were categorized as patients with RMSF (group I) and patients with dengue and COVID-19 (group II). Descriptive statistics were used, and differences were evaluated using Student’s t-test and the chi-squared test. Results: A series of 305 subjects were studied, with 252 (82.6%) in group I. Subjects in both groups presented fever, myalgias, arthralgias, and rash, but exposure to ticks distinguished group I. The fatality rate (21.0%) in group I was higher than in group II (3.8%). Conclusions: Although fever, myalgias, arthralgias, and rash are common in all three illnesses, they are more prevalent in hospitalized patients with RMSF. In the presence of such symptoms, a history of tick exposure can guide clinical decisions in regions where all three diseases are endemic.https://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/10/1/20Rocky Mountain spotted feverdengueCOVID-19<i>Rickettsia rickettsii</i>vector-borne diseasescoronavirus |
| spellingShingle | Gerardo Álvarez-Hernández Cristian Noé Rivera-Rosas Jesús René Tadeo Calleja-López Jehan Bonizú Álvarez-Meza Maria del Carmen Candia-Plata Denica Cruz-Loustaunau Antonio Alvídrez-Labrado A Comparison of the Clinical and Epidemiological Profile of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever with Dengue and COVID-19 in Hospitalized Children, Sonora, México, 2015–2022 Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease Rocky Mountain spotted fever dengue COVID-19 <i>Rickettsia rickettsii</i> vector-borne diseases coronavirus |
| title | A Comparison of the Clinical and Epidemiological Profile of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever with Dengue and COVID-19 in Hospitalized Children, Sonora, México, 2015–2022 |
| title_full | A Comparison of the Clinical and Epidemiological Profile of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever with Dengue and COVID-19 in Hospitalized Children, Sonora, México, 2015–2022 |
| title_fullStr | A Comparison of the Clinical and Epidemiological Profile of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever with Dengue and COVID-19 in Hospitalized Children, Sonora, México, 2015–2022 |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Comparison of the Clinical and Epidemiological Profile of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever with Dengue and COVID-19 in Hospitalized Children, Sonora, México, 2015–2022 |
| title_short | A Comparison of the Clinical and Epidemiological Profile of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever with Dengue and COVID-19 in Hospitalized Children, Sonora, México, 2015–2022 |
| title_sort | comparison of the clinical and epidemiological profile of rocky mountain spotted fever with dengue and covid 19 in hospitalized children sonora mexico 2015 2022 |
| topic | Rocky Mountain spotted fever dengue COVID-19 <i>Rickettsia rickettsii</i> vector-borne diseases coronavirus |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/10/1/20 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gerardoalvarezhernandez acomparisonoftheclinicalandepidemiologicalprofileofrockymountainspottedfeverwithdengueandcovid19inhospitalizedchildrensonoramexico20152022 AT cristiannoeriverarosas acomparisonoftheclinicalandepidemiologicalprofileofrockymountainspottedfeverwithdengueandcovid19inhospitalizedchildrensonoramexico20152022 AT jesusrenetadeocallejalopez acomparisonoftheclinicalandepidemiologicalprofileofrockymountainspottedfeverwithdengueandcovid19inhospitalizedchildrensonoramexico20152022 AT jehanbonizualvarezmeza acomparisonoftheclinicalandepidemiologicalprofileofrockymountainspottedfeverwithdengueandcovid19inhospitalizedchildrensonoramexico20152022 AT mariadelcarmencandiaplata acomparisonoftheclinicalandepidemiologicalprofileofrockymountainspottedfeverwithdengueandcovid19inhospitalizedchildrensonoramexico20152022 AT denicacruzloustaunau acomparisonoftheclinicalandepidemiologicalprofileofrockymountainspottedfeverwithdengueandcovid19inhospitalizedchildrensonoramexico20152022 AT antonioalvidrezlabrado acomparisonoftheclinicalandepidemiologicalprofileofrockymountainspottedfeverwithdengueandcovid19inhospitalizedchildrensonoramexico20152022 AT gerardoalvarezhernandez comparisonoftheclinicalandepidemiologicalprofileofrockymountainspottedfeverwithdengueandcovid19inhospitalizedchildrensonoramexico20152022 AT cristiannoeriverarosas comparisonoftheclinicalandepidemiologicalprofileofrockymountainspottedfeverwithdengueandcovid19inhospitalizedchildrensonoramexico20152022 AT jesusrenetadeocallejalopez comparisonoftheclinicalandepidemiologicalprofileofrockymountainspottedfeverwithdengueandcovid19inhospitalizedchildrensonoramexico20152022 AT jehanbonizualvarezmeza comparisonoftheclinicalandepidemiologicalprofileofrockymountainspottedfeverwithdengueandcovid19inhospitalizedchildrensonoramexico20152022 AT mariadelcarmencandiaplata comparisonoftheclinicalandepidemiologicalprofileofrockymountainspottedfeverwithdengueandcovid19inhospitalizedchildrensonoramexico20152022 AT denicacruzloustaunau comparisonoftheclinicalandepidemiologicalprofileofrockymountainspottedfeverwithdengueandcovid19inhospitalizedchildrensonoramexico20152022 AT antonioalvidrezlabrado comparisonoftheclinicalandepidemiologicalprofileofrockymountainspottedfeverwithdengueandcovid19inhospitalizedchildrensonoramexico20152022 |