2025 ICD-10-CM code A79.1
(Valid) Effective Date: N/A Infectious and parasitic diseases - Rickettsioses Certain infectious and parasitic diseases Feed
Rickettsialpox due to Rickettsia akari.
Medical necessity for treatment is based on the severity of symptoms and the risk of complications, although the disease is generally mild and self-resolving.
Diagnosis is based on symptoms, exposure history, and physical exam. Lab tests like blood count and PCR can support the diagnosis. Treatment often includes antibiotics like doxycycline, although the illness is typically self-limiting.
In simple words: Rickettsialpox is a disease caused by bacteria spread through the bite of a mite. It starts with a small red bump and then may cause fever, headache, and a rash that looks like chickenpox. It's usually mild and goes away on its own, but antibiotics can help.
Rickettsialpox is a mild, self-limiting illness caused by the bacterium Rickettsia akari, transmitted through the bite of an infected mite typically found on house mice. It is characterized by an initial eschar (a painless, red lump) at the bite site, followed by fever, headache, chills, muscle aches, and a distinctive rash resembling chickenpox. The rash spreads across the body but avoids the palms and soles.
Example 1: A patient presents with a small, painless red lump on their arm, followed by fever, headache, and a spreading rash. They report seeing mice in their apartment. This suggests rickettsialpox., A child develops a chickenpox-like rash after playing in an old shed known to have mice. With accompanying fever and an initial eschar, rickettsialpox is suspected., An exterminator experiences fever, headache, and a papulovesicular rash after working in a mouse-infested building. The presence of an eschar at a possible bite site points towards rickettsialpox.
Documentation should include the presence of the eschar, the characteristic rash, accompanying symptoms (fever, headache, chills, muscle aches), and any history of exposure to mice or mites.
- Specialties:Infectious Disease, Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Internal Medicine
- Place of Service:Office, Inpatient Hospital, Outpatient Hospital, Emergency Room - Hospital