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Demographic and Epidemiologic Features of Mediterranean Spotted Fever Cases in the Region of Split, Croatia

Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) is an acute, febrile, tick-transmitted rickettsiosis caused by Rickettsia conorii , an obligate intracellular bacterium endemic in Mediterranean countries, Africa, and Asia.The major vector of the disease is the dog brown tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus . 1,2 The first clinical description of spotted fever disease in Croatia was reported in the city of Split (central part of southern Croatia, eastern coast of Adriatic Sea) by Tartaglia in 1935. 3 The first well documented, serologically confirmed cases of MSF in Croatia were reported among inhabitants and tourists in Split and its adjacent suburban-semirural area in 1982. 4 Ever since a prospective study on MSF in the area of Split was carried out at University Hospital Split, the only hospital in the region, where cases of MSF are observed every year. This article presents an overview of data accumulated from 1982 through 1999 and describes demographic and epidemiological features of patients with MSF in the region of Split, Croatia.