Ricketsia rickettsiiRicketsia rickettsii

Chris BednarChris Bednar

Bacterial

Tick borne• American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis)• Brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus)• Rocky Mountain wood tick (Dermacentor

andersoni)

Host to host transfer

• Tall grass, wooded areas

• Eastern US

• Discovered in Rocky Mountains

• Red states – 60%

•Only about 100 cases reported per year

•Human and domestic fatality down to 1%

Flu-like symptoms Characteristic “spotting”

• 10% not affected• Red or purple

Abdominal pain Challenging to diagnose

• Similar to other bacterial and viral infections• Similar to other tick borne diseases

Not just in humans• More challenging in animals

Host species• Opossums• Rabbits• Squirrels• Rodents

Domestic Animals• Dogs• Cats• Cows• Horses

Other Common Species• Deer• Skunk• Woodchucks• Beavers• Foxes• Wolves• Coyotes• Humans• Etc.

Most wildlife go untreated

Doxycycline in humans and dogs

Prophylaxis as preventative

Antibiotics not effective as protection

ReferencesControl, C. f. (2011, January 18). Rocky

Mountain Spotted Fever. Retrieved February 14, 2011, from The Center for Disease Control: http://www.cdc.gov/rmsf/index.html

Health, V. P. (2007, April). Veterinarian’s Brief: Suspected Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in 4 Los Angeles County Dogs. Retrieved February 14, 2011, from LA Public Health: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/vet/Rockymountainspottedfever.htm