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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffTreatment for Rocky Mountain spotted fever involves:
- Carefully removing the tick from your skin
- Taking antibiotic medication, such as doxycycline, for seven to 10 days, and at least three days after your fever and other symptoms subside, to eliminate the infection
The sooner treatment begins, the better. The disease can progress rapidly and may cause serious illness. People who develop Rocky Mountain spotted fever are much more likely to survive if treated within five days of developing symptoms. That's why your doctor will probably have you begin antibiotic therapy before receiving conclusive test results, if he or she suspects Rocky Mountain spotted fever is the cause of your symptoms.
Doxycycline is the most effective treatment for Rocky Mountain spotted fever, but it's not a good choice if you're pregnant. In that case, your doctor may prescribe chloramphenicol as an alternative.
How to safely remove a tick
If you find a tick crawling on your skin, carefully remove it. Don't crush it between your fingers. Instead, burn it, bury it or flush it. Be sure to wash your hands afterward.
If a tick has already bitten you and is holding on to your skin, follow these steps:
- Remove the tick by gently grasping it near its head or mouth, preferably with a tweezers.
- Don't squeeze or crush the tick, but pull carefully and steadily.
- Save the tick by sealing it in a plastic bag and storing it in the freezer. This allows the tick to be tested for specific bacteria by your doctor if you become sick from the bite. If no signs or symptoms of infection occur within two weeks after the bite, dispose of the tick by burning it, burying it or flushing it.
- Disinfect the tweezers with alcohol or antibacterial soap and water.
- Wash that area of your skin thoroughly and apply antiseptic to the bite area after the tick has been removed.
- Wash your hands thoroughly.
- Chen LF, et al. What's new in Rocky Mountain spotted fever? Infectious Disease Clinics of North America. 2008;22:415.
- Sexton DJ. Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 31, 2009.
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever: Questions and answers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/disease/rocky_mountain_spotted_fever/faq.htm. Accessed Aug. 3, 2009.
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec14/ch177/ch177f.html. Accessed Aug. 3, 2009.
- Razzaq S, et al. Rocky Mountain spotted fever: A physician's challenge. Pediatrics in Review. 2005;26:125.
- Walker DH, et al. Rickettsia rickettsii and other spotted fever group rickettsiae (Rocky Mountain spotted fever and other spotted fevers). In: Mandell GL, et al. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2005. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/152732979-3/0/1259/1529.html?tocnode=51381835&fromURL=1529.html. Accessed Aug. 3, 2009.
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/rockyMountainSpottedFever/default.htm. Accessed Aug. 3, 2009.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, et al. Diagnosis and management of tickborne rickettsial diseases: Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichioses, and anaplasmosis - United States. MMWR Recommendations and Reports. 2006;55:4. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/rr/rr5504.pdf. Accessed Aug. 3, 2009.
- Sexton DJ. Treatment of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 31, 2009.
- Removing ticks. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/tick_removal.html. Accessed Aug. 3, 2009.
