Tick Typhus Treatment in Children

Tick typhus, commonly referred to as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, is a serious illness that can be fatal if left untreated. While children can be more difficult to diagnose, their immune systems often help to ensure full recovery. Following is more information about tick typhus and its treatment, especially related to children.

Tick Typhus Explained

• Tick typhus is the most severe tick-borne illness in the United States, stemming from a bacterial infection called Rickettsia rickettsii. It can only be contracted through the bite of an infected tick. Although the disease was initially discovered in the Rocky Mountain region, most cases today are seen in North Carolina, Oklahoma and the south-Atlantic region of the United States.

  The prevention of tick bites and controlling ticks around your home are the best forms of prevention, according to the CDC.

Symptoms of Tick Typhus

• Because tick typhus is nonspecific and resembles many other diseases, diagnosis is difficult. The three most common co-occurring symptoms include fever, rash and a recent tick bite. The incubation period is five to 10 days so most patients do not visit their physician until the first week of symptoms. Initial symptoms of tick typhus include fever, headache, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, and decreased appetite. A rash will begin to develop two to five days following onset of a fever (this happens faster in children than in older patients). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the rash starts out by presenting with small, flat, pink-colored spots (macules) on the ankles, forearms and wrists. When pressure is applied to the spots, the macules turn pale and then become raised on the skin.

  If left undiagnosed and untreated, the rash will worsen to a red, spotted rash around six days from symptom onset and pain in the abdomen, diarrhea, and joint pain will develop. A majority of patients will see the rash on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.

  Tick typhus can be a very severe disease, often requiring hospitalization. More severe cases can affect the respiratory, central nervous, renal, or gastrointestinal systems, according to CDC.

Treating Tick Typhus

• Although a laboratory confirmation of tick typhus is necessary, treatment should not wait until a confirmation is received. If the parent and physician believe that the child has tick typhus, then treatment should begin immediately. Doxycycline (or another antibiotic in the tetracycline class) is the common treatment, with dosage amount varying depending on the weight of the patient. The drug will be administered twice daily, roughly 12 hours from the last dosage, and will continue for at least 3 days after the fever has subsided. Length of treatment is usually five to 10 days, depending on the severity of symptoms. It is expected that the fever will subside within 24 to 72 hours from beginning of treatment, although a more severe case with damage to multiple organ systems will take longer to subside.