Written By: Prerna Mittra | Updated : December 14, 2023 4:10 PM IST
Image credits by: According to the CDC, signs and symptoms of RMSF begin 3-12 days after the bite of an infected tick. But because tick bites are not painful, people usually do not remember being bitten. (Photo: Freepik)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued a health advisory to notify healthcare providers and the public about an outbreak of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) among people in the US with recent travel to, or residence in the city of Tecate, state of Baja California, Mexico. As per reports, RMSF has led to three deaths thus far.
According to the CDC, RMSF is often transmitted by the American dog tick in the eastern, central and western US; by the Rocky Mountain wood tick in the Rocky Mountain states; and by the brown dog tick in the southwestern US along the US-Mexico border. In fact, it can be "rapidly fatal" if not treated within the first five days of symptoms.
Per the recent Health Alert Network (HAN) advisory, RMSF is a "severe, rapidly progressive, and often deadly" disease transmitted by the bite of infected ticks. Although, many patients do not even recall being bitten. Doxycycline is the treatment of choice for patients of all ages.
In its press release, CDC mentioned that there have been a total of five reported cases: all are patients who have recently been to Tecate, Mexico. They were diagnosed in July 2023, and suffered from symptoms two weeks after leaving Tecate. One was an adult and four were pediatric patients under 18. Children under the age of 10 are "five times more likely to die from RMSF" than adults, the CDC stated, adding that while all five patients were hospitalised, three of them died.
According to the CDC, signs and symptoms of RMSF begin 3-12 days after the bite of an infected tick. But because tick bites are not painful, people usually do not remember being bitten. "Illness generally begins with sudden onset of fever and headache and most people visit a healthcare provider during the first few days of symptoms," it stated.
Early illness (days 1-4)
Late illness (day 5 or later)
Risk factors for severe illness includes delayed treatment, children who are below 10 years of age, persons with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency.
The CDC warned that while most people with RMSF have some type of rash, less than 50 per cent of patients have a rash during the first 3 days of illness, when most people first seek medical care. Clinicians, therefore, must consider RMSF if other signs and symptoms support a diagnosis, even in the absence of a rash.
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