Rocky Mountain spotted fever

American  

noun

Pathology.

1. an infectious disease characterized by high fever, pains in joints, bones, and muscles, and a cutaneous eruption, caused by rickettsii and transmitted by ticks: first reported in the Rocky Mountain area, but now more widely distributed.

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Rocky Mountain spotted fever British  

noun

1. an acute rickettsial disease characterized by high fever, chills, pain in muscles and joints, skin rash, etc. It is caused by the bite of a tick infected with the microorganism Rickettsia rickettsii

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Rocky Mountain spotted fever Scientific  

/ rŏk′ē /

1. An acute infection caused by the bacteria Rickettssia Rickettii and transmitted by ticks of the family Ixodidae. It is characterized by fever, extreme exhaustion, muscle pains, and skin rash.

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Etymology

Origin of Rocky Mountain spotted fever

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90

Example Sentences

A Northern Californian has been confirmed as the fourth-ever person diagnosed with a newly recognized and rare tick-borne disease that causes symptoms similar to Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026

Doxycycline, a cheap antibiotic that has been available for more than 40 years, is a treatment for health problems including acne, chlamydia and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

From Washington Times • Oct. 2, 2023

Fortunately, it’s a milder form than Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a sometimes fatal tick-borne illness.

From New York Times • Jun. 29, 2023

But over the past few decades, various species of ticks have been migrating to new regions, leading to an increase in Rocky Mountain spotted fever cases throughout the South and mid-Atlantic.

From Scientific American • Jun. 14, 2023

Then there were all the diseases one is vulnerable to in the woods—giardiasis, eastern equine encephalitis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, schistosomiasis, brucellosis, and shigellosis, to offer but a sampling.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson