Tick borne illness - Rocky mountain spotted fever

Rocky Mounted Spotted Fever (RMSF) is a tick-borne rickettsial disease caused by the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii.1 –3 It is a potentially fatal illness found in the Americas continents, and transmitted by a variety of species capable of infection, most commonly from Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick) (Fig. 1),4 but also from Rhipicephalus sanguineus (brown dog tick), and Dermacentor andersoni (Rocky Mo untain wood tick) (Fig. 2).5 Of note, D. andersoni is found in the Rocky Mountain states, along with Southwestern Canada, at elevations ~4000 feet to over 10,000 feet, and is capable of transmitting RMSF, Colorado tick fever, and tularemia.

Source: Disease a Month - March 14, 2018 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Robin B. McFee Source Type: research