Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF)

RMSF

One of the deadliest tickborne diseases in the Americas

Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is a bacterial disease spread through the bite of an infected tick. Most people who get sick with RMSF will have a fever, headache, and rash. RMSF can be deadly if not treated early with the right antibiotic.

Transmission

Signs and Symptoms

Diagnosis and Testing

Prevention

Treatment

For Healthcare Providers

Epidemiology and Statistics

For Public Health Officials

Doxycycline and Tooth Staining

Resources

Key Resources

MMWR – Diagnosis and Management of Tickborne Rickettsial Diseases: Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Other Spotted Fever Group Rickettsioses, Ehrlichioses, and Anaplasmosis — United States pdf icon[PDF – 48 pages]

clip art image of a can of bug repellent.

Avoid ticks

There is no vaccine for RMSF. The first step for preventing this devastating disease is to prevent tick bites.

Clip art image of a tick being pulled from skin by a pair of tweezers.

Remove ticks

If you find a tick attached to your skin, there’s no need to panic—the key is to remove the tick as soon as possible.

Map of the U.S. showing where American dog ticks can be found. They can be located in the eastern half of the U.S. and California.

Where ticks live

Not all ticks bite and transmit disease to people. Find out what which ticks are spreading disease in your area.

Page last reviewed: May 7, 2019

Content source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) , Division of Vector-Borne Diseases (DVBD)