Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

By: Caleb & Dani4th Period

An arm with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

Did you know….. 15 Facts on Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

Number of reported cases of Rocky Mountain Fever by States & Regions, 1944-1998

#1- Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a serious, generalized infection

that is usually spread to people by the bite of infected ticks. The

disease gets its name from the Rocky Mountain area where it was

first identified.

Rocky Mountain Area

#2- Rocky Mountain spotted fever is caused by Rickettsia rickettsii, a specialized bacteria. Ticks infected

with the organism transmit the disease to humans.

#3- Rocky Mountain spotted fever is found throughout the United States, except in Maine, Alaska, and Hawaii.

Despite the name, few cases are reported from the Rocky Mountain

region. Most cases occur in the southeastern United States.

#4- Rocky Mountain spotted fever is spread by the American dog tick, the lone-star tick, and the wood

tick, all of which like to live in wooded areas and tall, grassy fields. The disease is most common in the

spring and summer when these ticks are active, but it can occur anytime during the year when the weather

is warm.

A Dog with a tick

#5- People get Rocky Mountain spotted fever from the bite of an

infected tick or by contamination of the skin with the contents of an

attached tick when it is removed from the skin. Rocky Mountain spotted fever

is not spread from person to person, except rarely by blood transfusion.

#6- People with Rocky Mountain spotted fever get a sudden fever (which can last

for 2 or 3 weeks), severe headache, tiredness, deep muscle pain, chills,

nausea, and a characteristic rash. The rash might begin on the legs or arms, can include the soles of the feet or palms of the hands, and can spread rapidly to the

trunk or the rest of the body.

#7- Symptoms usually begin 3 to 12 days after a tick bite.

A Tick bite on a human

#8- Rocky Mountain spotted fever is diagnosed by special blood tests.

Someone getting their blood tested

#9- Anyone who is exposed to tick-infested areas or to tick-infested pets is at risk for Rocky Mountain

spotted fever.

A Tick

#10- Complications can result from Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. For example, Without prompt medical care, kidney failure and shock can

lead to death.

Skull and Crossbones

#11- Rocky Mountain spotted fever affects about 800 people in the

United States each year.

Someone on the world

#12- About one half of cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever

occur in children.

A child that is sick

#13- Rocky Mountain spotted fever was first recognized in 1896 in the

Snake River Valley. Snake River Plain and was originally called

black measles.

Some with black spots

#14- It is identical with a disease known as São Paulo fever in Brazil and with the

spotted fever of Colombia

A map that shows where Sao Paulo is

#15- In most cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a red, blotchy rash develops on the wrists and ankles, spreading to the

palms of your hands and soles of your feet. This usually occurs between days three and five of infection. The rash often spreads up

your arms and legs to your torso.

This person has Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

Symptoms

Right Away• High fever — body

temperature reaching 102 F (38.9 C) or greater

• Chills • Severe headache • Sensitivity to light

(photophobia) • Nausea and vomiting • Abdominal pain • Loss of appetite • Fatigue

Later on• Red-spotted or blotchy rash

on your wrists or ankles • Widespread aches and

pains • Diarrhea • Restlessness • Delirium

Prevention-

• Limiting exposure to ticks reduces the likelihood of infection with Rocky Mountain spotted fever. In persons exposed to tick-infested habitats, prompt careful inspection and removal of crawling or attached ticks is an important method of preventing disease. It may take extended attachment time before organisms are transmitted from the tick to the host.

Treatment

Treatment for Rocky Mountain spotted fever involves:

• Carefully removing the tick from your skin• Taking antibiotic medication, such as

doxycycline, for seven to 10 days, and at least three days after your fever and other symptoms subside, to eliminate the infection

Sources

• http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Rocky_Mountain_spotted_fever.aspx

• http://www.lawestvector.org/rocky_mountain_spotted_fever.htm

• http://www.dhpe.org/infect/rms.html• http://0.tqn.com/d/firstaid/1/0/d/6/-/-/TickBi

te_CDCJamesGathany.jpg• http://0.tqn.com/d/hepatitis/1/0/l/0/-/-/Bloo

d-Draw.jpg• http://www.wpclipart.com/signs_symbol/skull

/skull_and_crossbones_large.png.html• http://www.marktoon.co.uk/stickmen.htm• http://www.picturesof.net/pages/100228-185

001-729042.html• http://somethingscrawlinginmyhair.com/2007

/05/12/tick-time/

Sources• http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/

506402/Rocky-Mountain-spotted-fever• http://enviro-map.com/maps/brazil_map.jpg• http://www.bing.com/health/article/mayo-12

6288/Rocky-Mountain-spotted-fever?q=rocky+mountain+spotted+fever

• http://www.medicinenet.com/rocky_mountain_spotted_fever/article.htm

• http://bensoncheng.wordpress.com/2010/03/17/a-tick-flea-free-dog-is-a-healthy-dog/itchtick_americandogtick_2/