Immunocompromised individuals are more likely to require hospitalization from RMSF.Д«ecause RMSF attacks the vascular system, one of the most vulnerable places in your body, severe illness is much more likely than you might encounter with other TBDs.People with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, a genetic disorder affecting red blood cells, show a higher propensity for the infection.However, the mortality rate of RMSF is highest among children in the 10 and under age group. Most cases occur in individuals over the age of 40.Reported cases of RMSF occur more often in men than women.Additional information from the CDC indicates: People who live near wooded areas or in an area of the country known to be hospitable to ticks are at risk of acquiring the infection. Certain Individuals May Be More At Risk of Acquiring RMSF. Like Lyme disease, ticks carrying RMSF may be active year-round in parts of the country where temperatures stay above freezing.ДЄlthough RMSF can be found throughout the United States, the majority of cases come from these five states:ДЈ. and the type of tick thatвЂ™s carrying the pathogen. Ticks carrying RMSF tend to be most active in May through August, but thereвЂ™s some variability due to geographic location in the U.S. The Transmission of RMSF Varies Depending on Geography and Time of Year. By comparison, related Rickettsial bacteria like Ehrlichia and Anaplasmosis have fatality rates of 3% and 1%, respectively. However, the mortality rate for RMSF may be between 5% and 10%, according to a review in The New England Journal of Medicine. The Annual Incidences of RMSF ArenвЂ™t Precise.Д«ecause the testing doesnвЂ™t identify which species of Rickettsia is the culprit, thereвЂ™s no way to tell how many cases are specific to RMSF versus other Rickettsial diseases that may cause less serious types of spotted fevers. To better understand RMSF, it helps to know some facts about testing methods, times of the year when ticks are most active, and the profile of people who are most at risk of contracting the illness. However, in 2017 RMSF cases jumped to 6,248, with marginally fewer cases reported in 2018. In 2010, the name was given to signify a group of related conditions caused by the Rickettsia bacteria for which the available serologic testing canвЂ™t discriminate between the different species of the disease-causing bacteria.Д®ach year, there are approximately 2,000 new cases in the United States, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The disease is part of a larger category called Spotted Fever Rickettsiosis (SFR). As a pathogenic disease, it was first reported in the 1920s. RMSF is a gram-negative obligate intracellular bacteria - in other words, itвЂ™s a parasitic-like microorganism that grows and reproduces inside a hostвЂ™s cells. An Overview of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Here, weвЂ™ll discuss the broad strokes of RMSF, including signs, symptoms, testing, and treatment.

Prompt medical intervention is crucial for a successful recovery from RMSF - the consequence of delaying treatment can be life-threatening. Whereas black-legged ticks are the arachnids responsible for Lyme disease, the Rocky Mountain wood tick, the brown dog tick, and the American dog tick are the chief transmitters of RMSF. RMSF is spread through the bite of an infected tick. Bill Rawls, MD, Medical Director of RawlsMD and Vital Plan. вЂњ Rickettsia has a preference for infecting cells lining blood vessels, specifically endothelial cells - this makes for a much more virulent bacteria,вЂќ says Dr. One such infectious agent is Rickettsia rickettsii, a bacteria that causes Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF).

Cases of these are on the rise as environmental and climate patterns continue to shift in such a way that supports tick populations, and as housing developments expand into wooded areas, bringing people, animals, and ticks in increasingly close proximity to one another.ДЄdditionally, thereвЂ™s an emerging threat of lesser-known pathogens that seem to garner media attention each year. When it comes to tick-borne diseases (TBD), there are several other infections with the potential to make you sick beyond the best-known Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.ДЇor starters, there are well-known Lyme disease coinfections like Bartonella and Babesia that may compound Lyme symptoms and add insult to injury for many people.

Rocky mountain spotted fever