Spotted fever rickettsioses. Study of cases reported in a secondary care pediatric hospital of northeastern Mexico, 2012-2022

Spotted fever rickettsiosis is a serious disease with a high mortality rate if not timely detected. To describe the characteristics of patients hospitalized for spotted fever rickettsiosis, as well as the risk factors associated with poor prognosis. Data from medical records of patients hospitalized between August 2012 and July 2022 were collected. Variables were analyzed using Mann-Whitney's U-test, Fisher's exact test, and univariate or multivariate logistic regression analysis. Twenty-six patients were analyzed, among which a mortality of 57.6% was identified. In the between-group comparison, platelet count was lower in non-survivors (16.0 × 10 /μL vs. 25.9 × 10 /μL, p = 0.031). The percentage of surviving patients who received treatment more than 72 hours after fever onset was 45.5% (five patients) vs. 86.7% of non-survivors (13 patients) (p = 0.034). Receiving treatment 72 hours after fever onset increased by 7.09 times the probability of a fatal outcome (OR = 8.09, 95% CI = 1.1-55.8, p = 0.034). Starting adequate treatment 72 hours after the onset of fever may be an important risk factor for mortality, hence the importance of timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment of this disease.