Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Introduction: Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Rocky Mountain spotted fever: Rocky Mountain spotted fever is the most severe and most frequently reported rickettsial illness in the United States.  The disease is caused ... more about Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever: A bacterial disease caused by Rickettsia rickettsii and transmitted by ticks. The condition causes fever and a characteristic rash and may be fatal in severe or untreated cases. More detailed information about the symptoms, causes, and treatments of Rocky Mountain spotted fever is available below.

Symptoms of Rocky Mountain spotted fever

• Early symptoms:
  • Sudden onset
  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Nausea

See full list of 53 symptoms of Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Home Diagnostic Testing

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Medical Textbooks Online about Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Wrongly Diagnosed with Rocky Mountain spotted fever?

• Misdiagnosis of Rocky Mountain spotted fever
• Underlying causes of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (possibly wrongly diagnosed)

Misdiagnosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever

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Causes of Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Read more about causes of Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

More information about causes of Rocky Mountain spotted fever:

• Rocky Mountain spotted fever as a complication caused by other conditions
• Medical news summaries relating to Causes of Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Treatments for Rocky Mountain spotted fever

• Antibiotics
• Chloramphenicol
• Tetracycline

Read more about treatments for Rocky Mountain spotted fever

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Prognosis for Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Prognosis for Rocky Mountain spotted fever: Rocky Mountain spotted fever remains a serious and potentially life-threatening infectious disease today. Despite the availability of effective treatment and advances in medical care, approximately 3% to 5% of individuals who become ill with Rocky Mountain spotted fever still die from the infection. However, effective antibiotic therapy has dramatically reduced the number of deaths caused by Rocky Mountain spotted fever; before the discovery of tetracycline and chloramphenicol in the late 1940s, as many as 30% of persons infected with R. rickettsii died. (Source: excerpt from Rocky Mountain spotted fever: DVRD)

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Prevention of Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Prevention information for Rocky Mountain spotted fever has been compiled from various data sources and may be inaccurate or incomplete. None of these methods guarantee prevention of Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

• Avoid tick areas
• Avoid tick bite
• Protective clothing
• Tick repellant
• Deet (diethyltoluamide) - a tick repellant

Read more about prevention of Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Statistics for Rocky Mountain spotted fever

• Medical statistics for Rocky Mountain spotted fever
• Prevalence and incidence statistics for Rocky Mountain spotted fever
• Death and Mortality statistics for Rocky Mountain spotted fever
• Society statistics for Rocky Mountain spotted fever

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Article Excerpts about Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Rocky Mountain spotted fever is the most severe and most frequently reported rickettsial illness in the United States.  The disease is caused by Rickettsia rickettsii, a species of bacteria that is spread to humans by ixodid (hard) ticks.  Initial signs and symptoms of the disease include sudden onset of fever, headache, and muscle pain, followed by development of rash.  The disease can be difficult to diagnose in the early stages, and without prompt and appropriate treatment it can be fatal. (Source: excerpt from Rocky Mountain spotted fever: DVRD)

Definitions of Rocky Mountain spotted fever:

Acute, infectious, sometimes fatal disease caused by Rickettsia rickettsii usually transmitted by ixodid ticks; occurs only in North and South America; manifestations include chills, fever, rash, headache, myalgia, and prostration. - (Source - Diseases Database)

Caused by rickettsial bacteria and transmitted by wood ticks - (Source - WordNet 2.1)