If you have kids, check them for ticks. Use a mirror or have someone help you with hard-to-see areas. Ticks can be found anywhere, but are commonly found:. If you get RMSF, you will always develop a rash. While most people do develop a rash at some point during their illness, this may not occur until a person has been sick for many days. If you develop a fever or rash after spending time in tick habitats, see a healthcare provider immediately. Tick bites are painless and often go unnoticed.
In fact, only 6 in 10 people who got RMSF remember a tick bite. Doxycycline is the treatment of choice for people of all ages who are suspected of having RMSF. Recent studies have shown that doxycycline does not cause tooth staining when used in short courses like those used to treat RMSF. For more information on RMSF, visit our website. New tools and resources are available for healthcare providers, visit the healthcare provider resources page.
Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. In the United States, this bacterium most often is spread to humans by bites from the American dog tick or the wood tick, depending on the geographic area. Rocky Mountain spotted fever is caused by infection with the organism Rickettsia rickettsii.
Ticks carrying R. If an infected tick attaches itself to your skin and feeds on your blood for six to 10 hours, you may pick up the infection.
But you may never see the tick on you. Rocky Mountain spotted fever primarily occurs when ticks are most active and during warm weather when people tend to spend more time outdoors. Rocky Mountain spotted fever cannot be spread from person to person.
If an infected tick attaches to your skin, you can contract Rocky Mountain spotted fever when you remove it, as fluid from the tick can enter your body through an opening such as the bite site. You can reduce your risk of infection by taking steps to prevent exposure to ticks and tick fluids.
When removing a tick from your skin:. Rocky Mountain spotted fever damages the lining of your smallest blood vessels, causing the vessels to leak or form clots. This may cause:. You can decrease your chances of contracting Rocky Mountain spotted fever by taking some simple precautions:. Remove a tick with tweezers. Gently grasp the tick near its head or mouth. Don't squeeze or crush the tick, but pull carefully and steadily. Once you have the entire tick removed, wash the bite area with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
Soak the tick in alcohol or flush it down the toilet. Wash your hands thoroughly to make sure any infected tick fluid is completely removed. Though there are many purportedly effective methods for helping to remove a tick, such as petroleum jelly, alcohol or even applying a hot match to the tick's body, none is a good method for tick removal.
Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. Once a tick has bitten you, it may draw blood slowly over several days. The longer a tick is attached to your skin, the greater the chance of an RMSF infection. Ticks are very small insects — some as small as the head of a pin — so you may never see a tick on your body after it bites you.
However, your household dog is also susceptible to RMSF. Learn more about tick bites ». Treatment for Rocky Mountain spotted fever involves an oral antibiotic known as doxycycline. The CDC recommends that you start taking the antibiotic as soon as the diagnosis is suspected, even before your doctor receives the laboratory results needed to definitively diagnose you.
This is because delay in treating the infection can lead to significant complications. The goal is to begin treatment as soon as possible, ideally within the first five days of infection. Make sure you take the antibiotics exactly the way your doctor or pharmacist described. If your disease is severe or you have complications, you may have to stay in the hospital for a longer period of time to receive fluids and be monitored.
Complications of RMSF include:. RMSF is rare, but the number of cases per million people, known as incidence, has been increasing over the last 10 years. The current number of cases in the United States is now around six cases per million people per year.
People who live close to wooded or grassy areas and people who are in frequent contact with dogs have a higher risk of infection. Rocky Mountain spotted fever got its name because it was first seen in the Rocky Mountains. The infection can occur at any time of the year, but is more common during the warm weather months, when ticks are more active and people tend to spend more time outside. RMSF can be fatal. Most fatalities occur in the very old or very young, and in cases where treatment was delayed.
You can prevent RMSF by avoiding tick bites or by removing ticks from your body promptly. Take these precautions to prevent a tick bite:. Proper removal is important to decrease the likelihood of infection. Follow these steps to remove the tick:. If you feel ill or develop a rash or a fever after having a tick bite, see your doctor. Ticks are very common in the United States.
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