Rickettsial fever claims one life

PUNE: A 38-year-old man from Kasba Peth died of rickettsial fever-induced multiple organ failure in a city hospital last month. This is perhaps the first such reported death in the city.
Farmers, shepherds and mountaineers are usually at risk of catching rickettsial infection. However, the disease epidemiology, experts say, has been changing with increasing urbanisation. The vectors of this disease ticks and mites have now found residence in urban bushes with increasing transport, influx of people and the city limits extending into nearby rural areas.
Ramakant Gavardhane, the victim, developed fever with chills, body ache and giddiness last month, following which he was admitted to Surya Hospital.
“He also had other underlying medical conditions, including heart disease and diabetes. His condition worsened and he developed rickettsia fever-induced septicaemia with multi-organ failure and died at 9.45pm on October 15,” a doctor said.
When contacted, infectious diseases physician Raman Gaikwad of Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital said, “Rickettsial illness can lead to acute multi-organ failure in otherwise normal individuals. Death is due to liver, kidney and respiratory failure and brain involvement. If identified in time, mortality can be reduced. Our access to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technologies useful in diagnosis has increased over the past few years. But it (PCR) is not easily accessible to rural populace, who are the worst affected.”
“Patients from rural areas near the city and adjoining districts like Satara, Ahmednagar and Solapur are referred to Pune hospitals,” Gaikwad said.
Paediatrician Sanjay Lalwani, head of the department at Bharati Hospital said, “Children living in close proximity to cattle and other animals are most vulnerable. ”