Thursday , 28 March 2024

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever: A Review

Author Details
S.B. Somwanshi*1, S.B. Chakor1, V.A. Kashid1, K.B. Dhamak2, R.J. Bhor2, A.S. Dighe2
1Department of Pharmaceutics, P.R.E.S.’s, College of Pharmacy (For Women), Chincholi, Nashik,
Maharashtra, India-422 102.
2Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, P.R.E.S.’s, College of Pharmacy (For Women), Chincholi, Nashik, Maharashtra, India-422 102.

Abstract
Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a severe infection caused by Rickettsia rickettsii transmitted to man by various species of ticks in the United States since the 1920’s. The 60-70% of patients with the disease reports a history of tick bite or exposure to tick-infested areas. There are two major vectors of R. rickettsii in the United States, the American dog tick and the Rocky Mountain wood tick. The symptoms of RMSF is characterized by a sudden onset of moderate to high fever, severe headache, fatigue, deep muscle pain, chills and rash. Early diagnosis of RMSF is critical, since untreated infection may cause irreversible dam¬age to the central nervous and cardiovascular systems. Diagnostic confirmation relied on serologic testing, by culture preparation, immuno histochemical methods and by PCR and sequencing methods. Treatment involves careful removal of the tick from the skin and antibiotics to get rid of the infection. Doxycycline or tetracycline is the drugs of choice for both confirmed and suspected cases. Chloramphenicol is also the drug of choice for children less than eight years of age. This review concerns with the detail information of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. All cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever must be reported to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Keywords: Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Tick, Rickettsia rickettsii, CDC.

Scroll To Top