THERAPEUTIC OPTIONS FOR SPOTTED FEVER

Abstract

Spotted fever is an acute febrile zoonosis of varying severity, generally developing endemically and with a worldwide distribution, caused by bacteria of the Rickettsiaceae family, specifically Rickettsia rickettsii, Rickettsia sp. Mata Atlântica strain, and Rickettsia parkeri. Due to the severity and rapid progression of clinical symptoms, early diagnosis is vital, and the institution of antibiotic therapy is a determining factor for the survival of affected patients. Therefore, this study aimed to conduct a narrative literature review to synthesize and analyze the most recent scientific evidence related to therapeutic options for spotted fever. The research was conducted in the PubMed database using the descriptor "Spotted Fever," articulated according to the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terminology, including articles published in the last five years, available in full and written in English or Portuguese, and excluding studies focused exclusively on vector ecology without clinical correlation, duplicate publications, and reviews with low methodological rigor. Thus, based on this study, it was possible to adopt and update the therapeutic options for the treatment of Spotted Fever, consolidating doxycycline as the treatment of choice due to its high efficacy and ability to act early in controlling the infection, contributing significantly to the reduction of morbidity and mortality and emphasizing the importance of continuous training of health professionals for the early recognition of the disease.