Septicaemia with Rickettsia helvetica in a patient with acute febrile illness, rash and myasthenia

SummaryThe spotted fever rickettsia, Rickettsia helvetica, is mostly reported to present a flu-like self-limiting disease. In the present case, however, where the presence of R. helvetica in the blood was verified by PCR together with serologic evidence of infection, the patient presented a different clinical picture with acute febrile illness, rash and long-lasting myasthenia.