Lyme Disease

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) is an illness transmitted to humans by tick bites.  It is caused by the bacteria Rickettsia rickettsii.  A few individuals infected with RMSF experience no symptoms or only mild symptoms.  Most people, however, experience fever, nausea, vomiting, severe headache, muscle pain, or lack of appetite during the early stages of the disease.  In the later stages, infected people experience a spotted rash, abdominal pain, joint pain, and diarrhea.  The first symptoms usually appear 5-10 days after infection.  RMSF must be treated immediately with either a tetracycline antibiotic such as doxycycline or chloramphenicol.  If not treated quickly and appropriately, RMSF can be fatal.

Carried by:

• American Dog Tick
• Brown Dog Tick
• Rocky Mountain Wood Tick
• Lone Star Tick

Health Data and Statistics for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever  

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in Pets

For more information on Rock Mountain spotted fever:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rmsf/index.htm

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