| Title | Managing Rocky Mountain spotted fever. | | Author(s) | Minniear TD, Buckingham SC | | Institution | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Mail Stop 320, Memphis, TN 38105, USA and University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Department of Pediatrics, 50 North Dunlap St, Memphis, TN 38103, USA. timothy.minniear@stjude.org. | | Source | Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2009 Nov; 7(9):1131-1137. | | Abstract | Rocky Mountain spotted fever is caused by the tick-borne bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii. Symptoms range from moderate illness to severe illness, including cardiovascular compromise, coma and death. The disease is prevalent in most of the USA, especially during warmer months. The trademark presentation is fever and rash with a history of tick bite, although tick exposure is unappreciated in over a third of cases. Other signature symptoms include headache and abdominal pain. The antibiotic therapy of choice for R. rickettsii infection is doxycycline. Preventive measures for Rocky Mountain spotted fever and other tick-borne diseases include: wearing long-sleeved, light colored clothing; checking for tick attachment and removing attached ticks promptly; applying topical insect repellent; and treating clothing with permethrin. | | Language | ENG | | Pub Type(s) | JOURNAL ARTICLE
| | PubMed ID | 19883333 |
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