This disease was first described in Tunisia in 1910 by Conor and Bruch and was named boutonneuse (French for "spotty") due to its papular skin-rash characteristics.

[1][2] After an incubation period around seven days, the disease manifests abruptly with chills, high fevers, muscular and articular pains, severe headache, and photophobia.

Around the fourth day of the illness, a widespread rash appears, first macular and then maculopapular, and sometimes petechial.

[citation needed] The diagnosis is made with serologic methods, either the classic Weil–Felix test, (agglutination of Proteus OX strains), ELISA, or immunofluorescence assays in the bioptic material of the primary lesion.

[citation needed] The illness can be treated with tetracyclines (doxycycline is the preferred treatment), chloramphenicol, macrolides, or fluoroquinolones.