Spiroplasma ixodetis Infections in Immunocompetent and Immunosuppressed Patients after Tick Exposure, Sweden

• DOI: 10.3201/eid2808.212524
• Publication Date: 2022-07-21T15:18:31Z
• Authors: Johannes Eimer; Louise Fernström; Louise Rohlén; Anna Grankvist; Kristoffer Loo; Erik Nyman; Anna J. Henningsson; Mats Haglund; Viktor Hultqvist; Johanna Sjöwall; Christine Wennerås; Thomas Schön
• Keywords: Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Infectious Medicine; Anaplasmosis; Spiroplasma; Infektionsmedicin; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Medical and Health Sciences; ticks; Immunocompromised Host; 03 medical and health sciences; Ticks; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Animals; Humans; bacteria; Sweden; 0303 health sciences; Anaplasma phagocytophilum; Spiroplasma ixodetis; Sweden; bacteria; doxycycline; immunocompetent patients; immunosuppressed patients; tick-borne infections; ticks; Tick Bites; doxycycline; Spiroplasma ixodetis; R; Dispatch; 3. Good health; tick-borne infections; Medicine; Anaplasma phagocytophilum

We report 2 cases of Spiroplasma ixodetis infection in an immunocompetent patient and an immunocompromised patient who had frequent tick exposure. Fever, thrombocytopenia, and increased liver aminotransferase levels raised the suspicion of anaplasmosis, but 16S rRNA PCR and Sanger sequencing yielded a diagnosis of spiroplasmosis. Both patients recovered after doxycycline treatment.