Consequences of delayed diagnosis of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in children--West Virginia, Michigan, Tennessee, and Oklahoma, May-July 2000

Patients with Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), a tickborne infection caused by Rickettsia rickettsii, respond quickly to tetracycline-class antibiotics (e.g., doxycycline) when therapy is started within the first few days of illness; however, untreated RMSF may result in severe illness and death. Persons aged <10 years have the highest age-specific incidence of RMSF. This report summarizes the clinical course and outcome of RMSF in four children from four regions of the United States and underscores the need for clinicians throughout the United States to consider RMSF in children with rash and fever, particularly those with a history of tick bite or who present during April-September when approximately 90% of RMSF cases occur.