Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, also known as RMSF, is a potentially serious bacterial infection that can lead to death if not caught in time and treated with antibiotics. Named after the Rocky Mountain region where the disease was first identified, RMSF is found in every U.S. state except Maine, Alaska and Hawaii. Most cases occur in the southeastern U.S. If treated promptly, RMSF can be mild, so it's important to know as much about the disease as possible in order to help protect yourself or ensure prompt treatment.
Bacteria
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is caused by a specialized bacteria known as rickettsia rickettsii. In most cases, ticks carry this bacteria and transmit the virus when they latch themselves onto a person and feed on their blood. Because ticks are most active during warm weather when people tend to spend more time outdoors, most cases of RMSF occur during the summer.
RMSF Ticks
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever gets transmitted via a variety of ticks that reside in different parts of the country. In the eastern part of the U.S., the dog tick is most likely to carry the bacteria. In the Rocky Mountain area, the culprit is most likely the wood tick. In the western part of the country, the Lone Star tick is known to transmit the bacteria to humans. Ticks can lodge anywhere on your body to feed on your blood but are often found in the hair, around the ankles and in the private regions. Once embedded, a tick can make a small, hard lump that's itchy and often red. The longer the tick stays on your skin, the greater the chance of infection.
Skin Breaks
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever can also be transmitted by contact with the bacteria through broken skin. Gently remove any tick from your body rather than crushing it, avoiding the chances of the virus exploding from the tick's body and entering yours through a cut or a scrape.
