AUTHOR=Adamu Abdulrahman , Reyer Flavia , Lawal Nafiú , Hassan Abdurrahman Jibril , Imam Mustapha Umar , Bello Muhammad Bashir , Kraiczy Peter 

TITLE=Aetiologies of bacterial tick-borne febrile illnesses in humans in Africa: diagnostic limitations and the need for improvement

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2024.1419575

DOI=10.3389/fmed.2024.1419575

ISSN=2296-858X

ABSTRACT=Tick-borne febrile illnesses caused by pathogens like Anaplasma spp., Bartonella spp., Borrelia spp., Ehrlichia spp., Coxiella burnetii, Francisella tularensis, and Rickettsia spp., are significant health concerns in Africa. The epidemiological occurrence of these pathogens is closely linked to the habitats of their vectors, prevalent in rural and semi-urban areas where humans and livestock coexist. The overlapping clinical presentations, non-specific symptoms, and limited access to commercially available in vitro diagnostics in resource-limited settings exacerbate the complexity of accurate diagnoses.Diagnostic limitations pose substantial challenges in distinguishing between different etiological agents. This comprehensive survey aimed to extract dataof the existing literature on tickborne febrile illnesses in Africa. Relevant articles including reviews, case studies, and epidemiological data were systematically screened to identify general disease patterns, diagnostic challenges, and relevant tick-borne pathogens affecting human populations in Africa. Furthermore, here we present an up-to-date view of the most relevant pathogens transmitted to humans by hematophagousticks and valuable insights into the intricate landscape of tick-borne illnesses in Africa which highlight the urgency for improved diagnostics and to alert health professionals to understand, manage, and control of these complex human infectious diseases.This review aimed to systematically extract and analyze existing literature on tick-borne febrile illnesses in Africa, highlighting the diagnostic challenges and presenting an up-to-date overview of the most relevant pathogens affecting human populations.