Rocky Mountain spotted fever facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rocky Mountain spotted fever |
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| Synonyms | Blue disease, Brazilian spotted fever, Tobia fever, new world spotted fever, tick- borne typhus fever, Sao Paulo fever |
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| Petechial rash on the arm caused by Rocky Mountain spotted fever | |
| Symptoms | Early: Fever, headache Later: Rash |
| Complications | Hearing loss, loss of limbs |
| Usual onset | 2 to 14 days after infection |
| Duration | 2 weeks |
| Causes | Rickettsia rickettsii spread ticks |
| Diagnostic method | Based on symptoms |
| Similar conditions | Zika fever, dengue, chikungunya, Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis, Pacific Coast tick fever, rickettsialpox |
| Treatment | Doxycycline |
| Prognosis | 0.5% risk of death |
| Frequency | < 5,000 cases per year (USA) |
Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is a bacterial disease spread by ticks. It typically begins with a fever and headache, which is followed a few days later with the development of a rash. The rash is generally made up of small spots of bleeding and starts on the wrists and ankles. Other symptoms may include muscle pains and vomiting. Long-term complications following recovery may include hearing loss or loss of part of an arm or leg.
The disease is caused by Rickettsia rickettsii, a type of bacterium that is primarily spread to humans by American dog ticks, Rocky Mountain wood ticks, and brown dog ticks. Rarely the disease is spread by blood transfusions. Diagnosis in the early stages is difficult. A number of laboratory tests can confirm the diagnosis but treatment should be begun based on symptoms. It is within a group known as spotted fever rickettsiosis, together with Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis, Pacific Coast tick fever, and rickettsialpox.
Fewer than 5,000 cases are reported a year in the United States, most often in June and July. It has been diagnosed throughout the contiguous United States, Western Canada, and parts of Central and South America. Rocky Mountain spotted fever was first identified in the 1800s in the Rocky Mountains.
Signs and symptoms
Spotted fever can be very difficult to diagnose in its early stages, due to the similarity of symptoms with many different diseases.
People infected with R. rickettsii usually notice symptoms following an incubation period of one to two weeks after a tick bite. The early clinical presentation of Rocky Mountain spotted fever is nonspecific and may resemble a variety of other infectious and noninfectious diseases.
Initial symptoms:
- Fever
- Nausea
- Emesis (vomiting)
- Severe headache
- Muscle pain
- Lack of appetite
Later signs and symptoms:
- Maculopapular rash
- Petechial rash
- Abdominal pain
- Joint pain
- Conjunctivitis
- Forgetfulness
Images for kids
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The lifecycle of Dermacentor variabilis and Dermacentor andersoni ticks (Family Ixodidae)
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US distribution of spotted fever rickettsiosis, of which RMSF is a type, in 2014
See also
In Spanish: Fiebre de las Montañas Rocosas para niños
