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.

---

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

---

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.

---

Etymology

Origin of Rocky Mountain spotted fever

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Symptoms of Rocky Mountain spotted fever can range from fever and a rash to long-term effects that include damage to internal organs or neurological disorders.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026

Half of all Rocky Mountain spotted fever fatalities occur with eight days of disease symptoms starting.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 9, 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

Also check your dogs because dog ticks can carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which can also infect humans.

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