Borrelia miyamotoi infection, a newly-recognized tick-borne illness, has been observed in patients thought to have human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA).
There are 11 recognized tick-borne illnesses in the northeastern United States and all can present as undifferentiated flu-like illness. In areas where deer ticks are common and Lyme disease, babesiosis, and HGA are prevalent, patients presenting with sudden fever, myalgia, leucopenia, and elevated aminotransferase levels are presumptively diagnosed with HGA.
Researchers identified two such patients from the northeastern United States who were hospitalized for presumptive HGA and treated with doxycycline.
A lack of response to doxycycline after more than 24 hours led to further analysis. B. miyamotoi infection was identified in these patients who previously would have been reported to the Department of Public Health as possible HGA cases.
Source: American College of Physicians