Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is rare in Minnesota, but isolated cases have been reported from various parts of the state.SkiptoContentRockyMountainSpottedFever-MinnesotaDept.ofHealthRockyMountainSpottedFeverRockyMountainSpottedFeverHomeReportingSpottedFeverRickettsiosisTickborneDiseasesTickborneDiseasesHomeDiseasesPreventionTicksMonitoringTickborneStatisticsMaterialsVideosTickborneDiseaseForHealthProfessionalsRelatedTopicsInternationalTravel&InfectiousDiseaseRockyMountainSpottedFever(RMSF)RockyMountainspottedfever(RMSF)israreinMinnesota,butisolatedcaseshavebeenreportedfromvariouspartsofthestate.Thediseaseismostcommonlyreportedinsouth-centralandsoutheasternstates.TheillnessiscausedbybacteriacalledRickettsiarickettsii,whichistransmittedlocallybythetickspeciesDermacentorvariabilis(Americandogtick,alsocalledthewoodtick).AmericandogticksarefoundingrassyorwoodedareasthroughoutMinnesota.Theyaremostactivefromspringthrumid-summer.SignsandSymptomsSignsandsymptomsincludeanabruptonsetoffever,malaise,headache,muscleaches,lossofappetite,nausea,vomiting,andarash.Thetypicalrashfirstappearsasspotsonthewristsandankleswhichthenspreadtothetrunkandalsosometimesthepalmsandsoles.Therashoftenappearstwotofivedaysafteronsetoffever.RMSFcanresultinorganfailureanddeath.Supportivelaboratoryfindingsincludethrombocytopenia,increasedserumhepaticaminotransferaselevels,andhyponatremia.TreatmentDoxycyclineisthefirstlinetreatmentforadultsandchildrenofallages.Newresearchshowsnoevidenceoftoothstainingfromshortcoursesofdoxycycline.Treatmentshouldbeundertakenwiththeassistanceofaninfectiousdiseasespecialist.EmpirictreatmentshouldbeinitiatedassoonasRMSFissuspectedtopreventseriouscomplicationsordeath.LinksRockyMountainSpottedFeverCDC:ViralandRickettsialZoonosesBranchwebsiteaboutRockyMountainSpottedFever.DiagnosisandManagementofTickborneRickettsialDiseases:RockyMountainSpottedFever,Ehrlichiosis,andAnaplasmosis-UnitedStatesCDC:MorbidityandMortalityWeeklyReportMay13,2016/65(2);1-44:APracticalGuideforHealt