<Tr> <Th> MeSH </Th> <Td> D012373 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> (edit on Wikidata) </Td> </Tr> <P> Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), also known as blue disease, is the most lethal and most frequently reported rickettsial illness in the United States . It has been diagnosed throughout the Americas . Some synonyms for Rocky Mountain spotted fever in other countries include "tick typhus," "Tobia fever" (Colombia), "São Paulo fever" or "febre maculosa" (Brazil), and "fiebre manchada" (Mexico). It is distinct from the viral tick - borne infection, Colorado tick fever . The disease is caused by Rickettsia rickettsii, a species of bacterium that is spread to humans by Dermacentor ticks . Initial signs and symptoms of the disease include sudden onset of fever, headache, and muscle pain, followed by development of rash . The disease can be difficult to diagnose in the early stages, and without prompt and appropriate treatment it can be fatal . </P> <P> Rocky Mountain spotted fever was first identified in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States, hence the condition's name . However, by the 1930s, medical researchers recognized the disease's prevalence in many areas of the United States, and the condition is now recognized as broadly distributed throughout the contiguous states . The illness is found as far north as Canada and as far south as Central America along with parts of South America . Between 1981 and 1996, Hawaii, Vermont, Maine, and Alaska were all free of the disease . </P>

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