2025 ICD-10-CM code A77.3
Spotted fever due to Rickettsia australis (Queensland tick typhus).
Medical necessity is established by the presence of signs and symptoms consistent with Queensland tick typhus, along with supporting laboratory confirmation or strong clinical suspicion based on patient history and epidemiological factors.
The provider diagnoses the condition based on patient history, physical examination (presence of eschar, rash, lymphadenopathy), and laboratory tests. Treatment includes administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics and supportive care as needed.
In simple words: Queensland tick typhus is an infection spread by tick bites.It causes fever, a black scab with a red ring around it where the tick bit, swollen lymph nodes, headache, and muscle pain.Later, a rash appears all over the body.Doctors diagnose it based on where you’ve traveled, finding a tick bite, and lab tests.Antibiotics are used for treatment.
Spotted fever due to Rickettsia australis, also known as Queensland tick typhus, is an infectious disease transmitted through the bite of a tick carried by rodents. Symptoms include high fever, a characteristic tache noire eschar (black scab surrounded by a red circle) at the bite site, regional lymphadenopathy, headache, and myalgia (muscle aches), followed by a generalized maculopapular or vesicular rash. Diagnosis is based on patient history (travel to endemic areas, tick bite), symptoms, and laboratory tests like PCR and IFA for antibodies. Treatment involves early broad-spectrum antibiotics.
Example 1: A patient presents with fever, headache, myalgia, and a characteristic black eschar on their leg after a recent camping trip in Queensland, Australia.Laboratory tests confirm the presence of Rickettsia australis, and a diagnosis of Queensland tick typhus (A77.3) is made.The patient is prescribed doxycycline., A child develops a fever and a generalized rash a week after a family picnic. The parents notice a small, dark scab surrounded by a red area on the child’s arm.The pediatrician suspects Queensland tick typhus (A77.3), and serological tests are ordered to confirm the diagnosis., A traveler returning from Australia experiences fever, chills, and muscle aches. Upon examination, a maculopapular rash and an eschar are found.Considering the patient's travel history and clinical findings, Queensland tick typhus (A77.3) is suspected, and appropriate diagnostic testing and treatment are initiated.
Documentation should include signs and symptoms (fever, rash, eschar, lymphadenopathy, headache, myalgia), travel history, tick bite history (if available), laboratory results (PCR, IFA), and treatment details.
- Specialties:Infectious Disease, Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Travel Medicine
- Place of Service:Office, Inpatient Hospital, Outpatient Hospital, Emergency Room - Hospital