California Detects Rickettsia lanei in Ticks, Links It to 4th Known Global Human Case
Updated
Updated · LymeDisease.org · Jun 11
California Detects Rickettsia lanei in Ticks, Links It to 4th Known Global Human Case
3 articles · Updated · LymeDisease.org · Jun 11
Summary
California health officials said Rickettsia lanei was found in state ticks and tied to a human infection this year, only the third known case in California.
CDPH said the infection is just the fourth documented worldwide since the bacterium was first identified in Sonoma County rabbit ticks in 2018.
No details on the patient were released, but officials said the spotted-fever-group pathogen may be underrecognized because its symptoms overlap with other rickettsial illnesses.
R. lanei belongs to the same broader family as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which can be fatal in up to 10% of cases, underscoring uncertainty about tick-borne disease risks in the western U.S.