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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffRocky Mountain spotted fever is a potentially serious bacterial infection transmitted to humans by tick bites. The illness is named after the Rocky Mountain region, where the disease was first identified. Rocky Mountain spotted fever occurs when an infected tick attaches to your skin and feeds on your blood. The infection then has the potential to spread to your bloodstream and other areas of your body.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever doesn't spread directly from person to person. If treated promptly, a case of Rocky Mountain spotted fever is usually fairly mild. In a small number of people, the disease can be serious, even fatal, especially in older adults. Because Rocky Mountain spotted fever can progress rapidly, prompt treatment is important.
- Chen LF, et al. What's new in Rocky Mountain spotted fever? Infectious Disease Clinics of North America. 2008;22:415.
- Sexton DJ. Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 31, 2009.
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever: Questions and answers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/disease/rocky_mountain_spotted_fever/faq.htm. Accessed Aug. 3, 2009.
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec14/ch177/ch177f.html. Accessed Aug. 3, 2009.
- Razzaq S, et al. Rocky Mountain spotted fever: A physician's challenge. Pediatrics in Review. 2005;26:125.
- Walker DH, et al. Rickettsia rickettsii and other spotted fever group rickettsiae (Rocky Mountain spotted fever and other spotted fevers). In: Mandell GL, et al. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2005. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/152732979-3/0/1259/1529.html?tocnode=51381835&fromURL=1529.html. Accessed Aug. 3, 2009.
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/rockyMountainSpottedFever/default.htm. Accessed Aug. 3, 2009.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, et al. Diagnosis and management of tickborne rickettsial diseases: Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichioses, and anaplasmosis - United States. MMWR Recommendations and Reports. 2006;55:4. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/rr/rr5504.pdf. Accessed Aug. 3, 2009.
- Sexton DJ. Treatment of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 31, 2009.
- Removing ticks. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/tick_removal.html. Accessed Aug. 3, 2009.
