Overview

Rocky Mountain spotted fever is an infection you can get from certain kinds of ticks. Ticks are small spider-like animals that attach to your skin and feed on blood. This infection can lead to life-threatening problems, such as shock and kidney failure, if it is not treated quickly. It can be treated with antibiotics.

The first symptoms usually start about 2 to 14 days after the tick bite. They include a sudden fever, severe headache, muscle and joint aches, and nausea and vomiting. A rash that looks like many tiny, flat, purple or red spots may come later. The rash usually starts on the wrists and ankles and then spreads to the arms and legs and the rest of the body.

Be sure to remove a tick from your body as soon as you find one. This helps you avoid an infection or any diseases the tick may pass on.

How can you care for yourself at home?

After a tick bite

• If your doctor prescribed antibiotics, take them as directed. Do not stop taking them just because you feel better. You need to take the full course of antibiotics.
• Ask your doctor if you can take an over-the-counter pain medicine, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), or naproxen (Aleve). Read and follow all instructions on the label.
• Do not take two or more pain medicines at the same time unless the doctor told you to. Many pain medicines have acetaminophen, which is Tylenol. Too much acetaminophen (Tylenol) can be harmful.

Removing a tick

• Use fine-tipped tweezers to remove a tick. If you don't have tweezers, put on gloves or cover your hands with tissue paper, and then use your fingers. Do not handle the tick with bare hands.
  • Grab the tick as close to its mouth (the part that is stuck in your skin) as you can.
  • Gently pull the tick straight out until its mouth lets go of your skin. Do not twist or "unscrew" the tick.
  • If the mouthparts break off and remain in the skin, remove them with tweezers or, if you are unable to remove them easily, leave them alone and let the skin heal. Talk to your health professional.
• Do not try to smother a tick on your skin with petroleum jelly, nail polish, gasoline, or rubbing alcohol. This may raise your risk of infection.
• Do not try to burn the tick while it is attached to your skin.

Preventing tick bites

• When you return home from areas where ticks might live, carefully examine your skin and scalp for ticks. Try using a full-length mirror to look at all parts of your body. Check your children too.
• Ticks can come into your house on clothing, outdoor gear, and pets. These ticks can fall off and attach to you.
  • Check your clothing and outdoor gear. Remove any ticks you find.
  • Put your dry clothing in a clothes dryer on high heat for about 10 minutes to kill any ticks that might remain. If your clothing is damp, more time may be needed. If your clothing needs to be washed first, use hot water. Cold and medium temperature water will not kill ticks.
  • Check your pets for ticks after they have been outdoors.
• Use insect repellents with DEET. Follow the directions on the label, especially when putting repellent on children.
• Use products that contain 0.5% permethrin on your clothing and outdoor gear, such as your tent. You can also buy clothing already treated with permethrin. Permethrin is not available as an insect repellent in Canada, but travel health clinics may be able to advise you on how to buy permethrin or permethrin-treated gear.
• Cover as much of your skin as you can when working or playing in grassy or wooded areas. Wear a hat, a long-sleeved shirt, and long pants with the legs tucked into your socks.
• Wear light-coloured clothes to make it easier to spot a tick.
• Wear gloves when you handle animals or work in the woods.