Rickettsia
Rickettsia is a similar type of bacteria to both Anaplasma as to Ehrlichia which can cause tick-borne diseases in humans. What makes these thre bacterias different from more common coinfections like Bartonella and Babesia is that they have a greater chance of contributing to severe, life-threatening symptoms. The diseases resulting from Rickettsia is called rickettsiosis. Rickettsioses is used to describe the diseases caused by pathogenic members of the family Rickettsiaceae, which comprise two genera, Rickettsia and Orientia. They are usually spread to people through the bite of infected ticks (spotted fever group rickettsiae) or mites (Rickettsia akari, Orientia spp.), or through infected feces of lice (Rickettsia prowazekii) or fleas (Rickettsia typhi).
RMSF
The most common Rickettsial disease is Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), caused by the bacteria Rickettsia Rickettsii. It targets small blood vessels in the body, where it has the potential to be deadly. RMSF isn’t transmitted by the same tick that carries Lyme disease, but a person with Lyme could also acquire RMSF at some point and vice versa. Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a dangerous infection and one of the most deadly infections in the world. Although it was first identified in the Rocky Mountain states, most cases are now found in the southeastern United States, but also in Canada, Mexico, Central America and South America.
Three types of ticks carry the Rickettsia rickettsii bacteria, which cause the disease RSMF:
- American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis)
- Rocky Mountain wood tick (Dermacentor andersoni)
- Brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus)
Symptoms of RMSF
Infections from Rickettsia bacteria have unique features, and they tend to progress rapidly through the body. The illnesses exist on a spectrum, meaning some people may experience a greater degree of symptoms than others. Generally, symptoms of RMSF shows up in 2-4 days as a rash.
Hallmark symptoms of RMSF include:
- High fever
- Intense headache
- Chills
- Fatigue
- Muscle aches and pains
- Pink, red, or purple rash on wrists, forearms, ankles, the trunk of the body, and the soles of the feet (A rash is most likely to occur with RMSF, but a similar one can also develop with Ehrlichia.)
- Vasculitis
Other symptoms that can accompany the infections are:
- Flu-like illness
- Joint pain
- Disorientation
- Stomach aches
- Nausea and vomiting
- Weight loss
- Respiratory distress
- Low white blood cell count
- Anemia
- Increased liver enzymes
- Kidney failure
