Ricketsia rickettsii Chris 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

References Control, C. f. (2011, January 18). Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Retrieved February 14, 2011, from The Center for Disease Control: 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: untainspottedfever.htm