|  | Conditions Treatments | Infectious Diseases

Information on Rocky Mountain Fever

Rocky Mountain fever, usually referred to as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, is a tick-borne illness that can cause a serious bacterial infection. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 250 to 1,200 cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever are reported each year in the United States. The infection is usually treated with antibiotics.

  1. Identification

    • Despite the name, Rocky Mountain spotted fever occurs in areas other than the Rocky Mountains. According to MedLine Plus, the infection has even been reported in such states as Maryland, Georgia, Virginia, Oklahoma, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina. Rocky Mountain spotted fever is transmitted by the wood tick in the western part of the U.S., brown and cayenne ticks in Central and South America and in the southern United States, and by dogs tick in the eastern U.S.

    Transmission

    • Transmission of Rocky Mountain spotted fever occurs after a tick infected with the Rickettsia rickettsii bacterial organism attaches itself to your skin and bites you. Infection can also occur if you come in contact with a tick's bodily fluids while removing the tick from yourself, another person or a pet. Your chance of developing the infection increases the longer the tick remains attached to your body.

    Symptoms

    • Early symptoms of Rocky Mountain spotted fever include chills, fever of 102 degrees F or higher, vomiting, nausea, fatigue, headache, loss of appetite, mental confusion, and excessive thirst or fatigue. Because many other illnesses have similar symptoms, you may not realize that you have Rocky Mountain spotted fever in the initial phase of the infection, particularly if you never noticed a tick on your body. If the disease is untreated, a blotchy or spotted rash may form on your ankles or wrists and spread to your palms, the soles of your feet and your trunk. Not everyone develops this rash and it may be hard to notice if you have darker skin. You may also develop diarrhea, feel achy and experience abdominal pain.

    Treatment

    • Treatment involves removing the tick from the skin if it is still attached and taking antibiotics for seven to 10 days. According to the CDC, the majority of patients who develop the infection are hospitalized.

    Complications

    • If treatment isn't begun during the initial stage of infection, serious complications or death can occur. An untreated infection can infect other parts of your body if it spreads throughout your bloodstream. Complications may include paralysis, nerve or brain damage, hearing loss, shock, and gangrene of the arms, legs, fingers or toes that may require amputation. Gangrene occurs when tissues in a part of the body die and turn black. Other possible serious complications include lung inflammation, meningitis (inflammation of brain membranes), blood clotting problems, and kidney, heart or lung failure.

Infectious Diseases - Related Articles