$Unique_ID{PAR00140}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Medical Advice:  Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{
Editors of Consumer Guide
Chasnoff, Ira J}
$Subject{Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Headache appetite Loss Rash bitten ticks
wood tick repellent dog wild rabbits bite bites rickettsia viral virus viruses
bacterial bacteria bacterium antibiotic antibiotics ankles wrists rose-colored
spots reddish-purple muscle pain blood test antibody antibodies Tetracycline
chloramphenicol bit rabbit dogs rashes infection infections}
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Your Child:  A Medical Guide


Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever


     Quick Reference

     SYMPTOMS
     - Headache
     - Fever
     - Loss of appetite
     - Rash

     HOME CARE
     - This condition requires medical attention.
     - Watch carefully for symptoms in a child who has been bitten by ticks.
       If you suspect that the disease is present, take the child to the
       doctor at once.

     PRECAUTIONS
     - Never remove ticks from a dog with your fingers.  Use tweezers.
     - Use a tick repellent to keep your dog free of ticks.
     - Do not allow your child to touch wild rabbits.
     - If your child is bitten by a tick, observe him closely for a week
       afterward.
     - Note that Rocky Mountain spotted fever always needs medical attention.
       It can be fatal if left untreated.


     Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a noncontagious disease transmitted by
the bite of a wood tick, rabbit tick, or dog tick.  The name of the disease is
misleading; it occurs in all states, and is just as common in eastern and
midwestern states as in the Rocky Mountain states.
     The disease is caused by a microorganism called a rickettsia, which is
midway between a virus and a bacterium.  The incubation period (the time it
takes for the symptoms to develop once the child is exposed to the rickettsia)
is two to eight days.  Rocky Mountain spotted fever was fatal in as many as 40
percent of cases before the availability of antibiotics, but the mortality has
decreased considerably since then.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

     Rocky Mountain spotted fever starts with vague symptoms of headache,
fever, and loss of appetite.  One to five days later, a rash appears on the
ankles and wrists and spreads rapidly to involve the entire body.  The pale,
rose-colored, flat or slightly raised spots often become reddish-purple.  As
the disease progresses, the fever worsens and severe muscle pain develops.
     The disease can be suspected if a rash and other symptoms follow a tick
bite.  The diagnosis cannot be confirmed, however, until the second week of
the illness; a blood test at that time should show an increase in the number
of antibodies (substances produced by the body in response to invasion)
against the causative rickettsia.  Usually, the illness lasts about two to
three weeks.

HOME CARE

     There is no home treatment.  All you can do is watch carefully for
symptoms of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in a child who has been bitten by
ticks.  If symptoms appear, take the child to the doctor at once.

PRECAUTIONS

  -  If your dog has ticks, remove the ticks cautiously with tweezers, not
     with your fingers.  A crushed tick can contaminate a scratch in the skin
     and transmit the microorganism that causes Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
  -  Use tick repellents on pets.
  -  Do not allow your child to handle wild rabbits.
  -  If your child has been bitten by a tick, observe him carefully for a week
     afterward.

MEDICAL TREATMENT

     If there is a strong reason to suspect that your child has Rocky Mountain
spotted fever, the doctor may start antibiotic therapy even before the
diagnosis is confirmed.  Tetracycline and chloramphenicol are the medicines
used for initial treatment.  The doctor may recommend that a child with Rocky
Mountain spotted fever be hospitalized for up to ten days.

RELATED TOPICS:  Insect bites and stings; Rashes