Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

Abstract Rocky Mountain spotted fever carried by infection with Rickettsia rickettsii, is an acute tick-borne disease which, in its classic form, is characterized by a cutaneous rash, fever, and widespread organ dysfunction. Illness is related to direct endothelial injury caused by R. rickettsii’ The name Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a misnomer as the disease occurs through the continental United States, southern Canada, Mexico, Central America, and even in parts of South America. Synonyms for Rocky Mountain spotted fever include tick typhus, Tobia fever (Columbia), Sao Paulo fever, and fiebre maculosa (Brazil) and fiebre marchada (Mexico). The severity of clinical illness is highly variable, ranging from a mild viral-like malady to a fulminant fatal disease.