Rare Rickettsia lanei Case in California

A Northern United States — Californian has been confirmed as the fourth person globally to be diagnosed with Rickettsia lanei, a rare tick-borne disease similar to Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The United States — Connecticut Department of Public Health confirmed the case, which occurred in April, and noted two other United States — California cases in 2004 and 2023. The patient was hospitalized but is now recovering. Rickettsia lanei was identified in rabbit ticks in Sonoma County in 2018 and added to the list of transmittable pathogens by the United States — Connecticut Department of Public Health in 2024 after severe symptoms were studied in two previous cases. Researchers from University of California, Davis, including Janet Foley, are studying the bacteria, and Anne Kjemtrup from the United States — Connecticut Department of Public Health advises early treatment with doxycycline for suspected cases. The United States — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also published reports on the disease.