Rickettsiosis in Italy (Sardinia)

Italian health services reported via media, (in Italian) that a person has died of rickettsiosis in Lanusei, in central-eastern Sardinia. The patient had been seriously ill in hospital since 2 June 2002, after being bitten by a tick.

Rickettsiosis is a serious bacterial infection transmitted to humans predominantly from the bite of an infected tick. It occurs around the world. Most cases in Europe are seen in the Mediterranean region.

Symptoms are often non-specific, or may include fever and a rash. Treatment usually includes antibiotics.

Advice for Travellers

Travellers to endemic areas should be aware of the types of activities that increase tick bite exposure, such as walking, hiking, camping, cycling or fishing in woodlands, overgrown fields, parkland, hills and mountainsides.

Travellers can avoid tick bites by:

• wearing long sleeved tops, trousers tucked into socks, closed footwear to reduce the amount of exposed skin that could be bitten
• using insect repellents on any areas of exposed skin
• wearing light coloured clothing so that ticks are more visible if they brush onto clothing

After participating in outdoor activities, travellers should be advised to inspect their whole body for ticks, and to remove any ticks as early as possible.

No vaccine is currently available against rickettsiosis.

For further information on tick bite avoidance and removal of ticks, see the Insect Bite Avoidance page.