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Black spots in the returning traveler
Abstract
African tick bite fever (ATBF) is a rickettsial infection that should be considered as the cause of fever in travelers returning from endemic regions of sub-Saharan Africa or the Caribbean. Patients typically present with a flu-like syndrome and may demonstrate one or more cutaneous inoculation eschars as a diagnostic key. We present a case of ATBF in a pregnant woman following her trip to Swaziland. Her symptoms rapidly improved with institution of effective antimicrobial treatment with azithromycin and rifampin; she made a full recovery.