[vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]Rickettsia rickettsii – is the bacterial agent that causes Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF). R. rickettsii is transmitted by a tick vector, most notably, the American dog tick and the Rocky Mountain wood tick.  Symptoms occur about a week or two after infection, giving the bacteria time to incubate. Initial symptoms of RMSF are often indistinguishable from other illnesses, including fever, headache and muscle pain. A few days after the onset of fever, most patients will begin to form a rash, starting on the extremities and moving inward to the trunk. If RMSF is suspected, the patient should start antibiotics right away, not waiting for test confirmation. R. rickettsii infect the cells lining the blood vessels throughout the entire body resulting in respiratory, gastrointestinal, renal, and central nervous system damage if left untreated.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
