An unusual cluster of tick-borne spotted fever cases has raised concern in Israel's Sharon region. Over the past week, four children from the area arrived at the pediatric emergency department at Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba with fever, rash and other symptoms suggesting spotted fever, also known as rickettsiosis. Two of them were hospitalized for treatment and monitoring, one test has already come back positive, and results are still pending for the other three. The cases were reported to the Health Ministry.
Dr. Rachel Shatzman Steuerman, a pediatric infectious-disease specialist at Meir Medical Center, said the illness is spread by ticks found on dogs, wild animals, birds and vegetation. She said the incubation period is 3 to 14 days after a bite. Typical symptoms include high fever, headache and a widespread rash that often affects the palms and soles, as well as fatigue, weakness, muscle and joint pain, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. She added, "In the vast majority of cases the disease resolves without complications," but stressed the importance of early diagnosis and treatment.
Health officials emphasized that spotted fever is not transmitted from person to person. "The only way to be infected is through a bite from an infected tick," they said. Separately, Emek Hefer Regional Council informed parents about cases of rickettsiosis diagnosed in two kindergartens, one public and one private, in different and non-adjacent locations. Environmental inspections at both sites and nearby areas found no ticks or other pests.
The council said the lack of a shared exposure source and the distance between the two kindergartens suggest the children were likely infected in open areas rather than inside the schools. As a precaution, the council moved the kindergarten children to temporary buildings until all findings are received, and carried out gardening, weed removal, spraying and pest control according to Environmental Protection Ministry guidance. Parents are being urged to check children carefully after time in parks, gardens or open areas, especially around skin folds, armpits, behind the ears and the hairline, and to seek medical care for fever, rash or headache after possible tick exposure. Doctors say early antibiotic treatment is highly effective, and they urge vigilance without panic.
