A likely urban case of soft tick-borne relapsing fever shows that infected ticks may be present inside Texas homes.
While sitting inside an Austin apartment, a resident discovered an engorged tick attached to their ankle. Testing later connected the tick to a likely case of soft tick-borne relapsing fever (STRF), raising concerns that infected soft ticks may pose a risk in urban neighborhoods and homes, not only in rural areas.
Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and the Texas Department of State Health Services reported the case in Open Forum Infectious Diseases…