rocky mountain spotted fever

Question 1

cause

Answer 1

ricktessia rickets

Question 2

reservoir hosts

Answer 2

dogs + rodents

Question 3

vectors

Answer 3

ticks - genus dermacentor

Question 4

peak

Answer 4

summer as ticks more active and people are outside

Question 5

IP

Answer 5

2-12 days

Question 6

what does the bacteria do

Answer 6

invades endothelia cells of small vessels

Question 7

symptoms- classic

Answer 7

fever, headache rash

Question 8

the rash

Answer 8

we can’t count on it because its a later presentation and not everyone gets it (10%) but its a balancing rash and starts on the ankles and wrists and spreads centrally . the rash becomes more petechial over time

Question 9

what causes it to be lethal

Answer 9

once you have CNS involvement can cause encephalitis, meningitis , also can cause non cariogenic pulmonary edema , ARDS , arrhythmia

Question 10

tx

Answer 10

doxyclne and is most effective if started within the first 5 days

Question 11

diagnosis

Answer 11

generally a clinical one as serology will come later and we want to catch this disease as early as we can so take a good history

Question 12

why is it so hard to diagnose

Answer 12

because early symptoms are very non specific and people get the rash later a

Question 13

children

Answer 13

less likely to report a headache but more likely to get periorbital edam and edema of the dorsal of the hands

Question 14

prophylaxis

Answer 14

remove the ticks as soon as possible and this may stop the spread