Canine Rocky Mountain Spotted fever: a retrospective study of 30 cases

2001 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
AM Gasser ◽  
AJ Birkenheuer ◽  
EB Breitschwerdt
Keyword(s):  
Antibody Titer ◽  
Spotted Fever ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Neurological Dysfunction ◽  
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever ◽  
Cutaneous Lesions ◽  
Laboratory Findings ◽  
Antibody Titers ◽  
Time Of Presentation

Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) was diagnosed in 30 dogs examined at North Carolina State University, Veterinary Teaching Hospital between 1984 and 1997. Historical, physical examination, and laboratory abnormalities were reviewed. Diagnostic criteria included a four-fold rise in antibody titer to Rickettsia rickettsii (R. rickettsii) (n=15) or a single R. rickettsii antibody titer of 1:1,024 or greater (n=15; when this initial titer was determined one week or more after the onset of clinical signs). Fifteen (50%) dogs were greater than seven years of age, and 13 (43%) dogs were between two and seven years of age. There was no sex predilection. Only five (17%) dogs had a history of known tick exposure. Presumably due to delayed diagnosis, dogs with antibody titers of 1:1,024 or greater at the time of presentation had a higher incidence of more severe neurological dysfunction (e.g., ataxia, hyperesthesia, vestibular disease, and seizures) and cutaneous lesions (e.g., hyperemia, edema, petechiae, ecchymoses, and necrosis). Laboratory findings included anemia, leukocytosis accompanied by toxic granulation of neutrophils, hypoalbuminemia, and coagulation abnormalities; signs were generally more severe in the 15 dogs with R. rickettsii antibody titers of 1:1,024 or greater at the time of presentation. Twelve (40%) dogs in this study were severely thrombocytopenic (less than 75 x10(3) platelets/microl; reference range, 200 to 450 x 10(3)/microl), without clinical evidence of fulminant disseminated intravascular coagulation. In this study, the survival rate following R. rickettsii infection was 100%.

Central Nervous System Dysfunction Associated With Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Infection in Five Dogs

2005 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 259-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica S. Mikszewski ◽  
Charles H. Vite
Keyword(s):  
Spotted Fever ◽  
Fluorescent Antibody ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever ◽  
Rickettsia Rickettsii ◽  
Neurological Signs ◽  
Central Nervous System Dysfunction ◽  
Enzyme Screening ◽  
Time Of Presentation

Five dogs from the northeastern United States were presented with clinical signs of neurological disease associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) infection. Four of the five dogs had vestibular system dysfunction. Other neurological signs included paresis, tremors, and changes in mentation. All of the dogs had an elevated indirect fluorescent antibody titer or a positive semiquantitative enzyme screening immunoassay titer for Rickettsia rickettsii at the time of presentation. Although a higher mortality rate has been reported for dogs with neurological symptoms and RMSF infection, all of the dogs in this study improved with appropriate medical therapy and supportive care.

scholarly journals Prednisolone at anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressive dosages in conjunction with doxycycline does not potentiate the severity of Rickettsia rickettsii infection in dogs.

1997 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
E B Breitschwerdt ◽  
M G Davidson ◽  
B C Hegarty ◽  
M G Papich ◽  
C B Grindem
Keyword(s):  
Spotted Fever ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Concurrent Administration ◽  
Rickettsia Rickettsii ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Concurrent Use ◽  
Antibody Titers ◽  
Anti Inflammatory

Dogs were experimentally inoculated with Rickettsia rickettsii to determine if anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressive dosages of prednisolone, when administered in conjunction with an antirickettsial antibiotic (doxycycline), induced therapeutically relevant pathophysiological consequences that ultimately influence disease outcome. Although the duration of rickettsemia was prolonged in dogs receiving immunosuppressive, but not anti-inflammatory, corticosteroids, concurrent administration of doxycycline and corticosteroids conferred no other detected detrimental effects. Treatment with doxycycline or doxycycline in conjunction with prednisolone resulted in decreased R. rickettsii-specific antibody titers; however, examination of appropriately timed acute- and convalescent-phase serum samples would have facilitated an accurate diagnosis of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) in all 16 dogs. We conclude that the concurrent use of anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressive doses of prednisolone in conjunction with doxycycline, early in the course of experimental RMSF, confers no clinically relevant detrimental effects and that additional studies might be indicated to detect possible beneficial effects in cases of severe or potentially fulminant RMSF. However, because the illness induced in these dogs was of mild to moderate severity, the results of this study should definitely not be construed as supporting the safety or efficacy of prednisolone for treatment of severe canine or human RMSF.

scholarly journals Brain Death Secondary to Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Encephalitis

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Steven D. Rhodes ◽  
Alicia M. Teagarden ◽  
Brian Graner ◽  
Riad Lutfi ◽  
Chandy C. John
Keyword(s):  
Brain Death ◽  
Spotted Fever ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Altered Mental Status ◽  
Laboratory Evaluation ◽  
White Blood Count ◽  
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever ◽  
Laboratory Findings ◽  
Elevated Transaminases

A two-year-old female presented with acutely altered mental status following eight days of fever and rash. She had been camping at an Indiana campground 11 days prior to the onset of illness and was evaluated twice for her fever and rash prior to admission. Laboratory evaluation on admission revealed thrombocytopenia, hyponatremia, and elevated transaminases. The patient developed diffuse cerebral edema, and despite intensive care, the edema led to brain death from Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF). We present this case to highlight the importance of considering RMSF and other tick-borne illnesses in a child with prolonged fever and rash in a nonendemic area and also the difficulty of diagnosis in early stages of disease. A detailed travel history, evaluation of key laboratory findings (white blood count, platelet count, and transaminases), and close follow-up if rash and fevers persist may help to improve detection of RMSF. If a tick-borne illness such as RMSF is suspected, empiric doxycycline therapy should be started immediately, as lab confirmation may take several days and mortality increases greatly after five days of symptoms.

scholarly journals Effect of vaccination schedule on immune response of Macaca mulatta to cell culture-grown Rocky Mountain spotted fever vaccine

1976 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 253-257
Author(s):  
L S Sammons ◽  
R H Kenyon ◽  
C E Pedersen
Keyword(s):  
Cell Culture ◽  
Immune Response ◽  
Antibody Titer ◽  
Macaca Mulatta ◽  
Spotted Fever ◽  
Hematological Parameters ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Vaccination Schedule ◽  
Embryo Cell ◽  
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

The effect of vaccination schedule on the immune response of Macaca mulatta to formalin-inactivated chicken embryo cell culture (CEC)-grown Rickettsia rickettsii vaccine was studied. Schedules consisted of inoculation on day 1 only, on days 1 and 15, on days 1 and 30, on days 1, 8, and 15, or on days 1, 15, and 45. Humoral antibody measured by microagglutination and indirect immunofluorescence and resistance to challenge with 10(4) plaque-forming units of yolk sac-grown R. rickettsii were assessed. Seroconversion was noted in all monkeys after the first dose of vaccine. A second dose administered 8 or 15 days after the primary infection, or a third given 7 or 30 days after the second, produced no long-term effect on antibody titer. Only monkeys given two doses of vaccine at a 30-day interval showed an increase in antibody titer during the period before challenge. Vaccination with one, two, or three doses of CEC vaccine prevented development of rash and rickettsemia after challenge. The two-dose schedules appeared to induce the highest degree of resistance to challenge, as indicated by unaltered hematological parameters and body temperature in monkeys. The one- and three-dose schedules were somewhat less effective, in that some challenged monkeys within each group displayed febrile and leukocyte responses associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever infection. Our data suggest that administration of two doses of CEC vaccine at 15- or 30-day intervals is the immunization schedule of choice.

scholarly journals Rickettsia rickettsiiWhole-Cell Antigens Offer Protection against Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in the Canine Host

2018 ◽  
Vol 87 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andy Alhassan ◽  
Huitao Liu ◽  
Jodi McGill ◽  
Argine Cerezo ◽  
Laxmi U. M. R. Jakkula ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spotted Fever ◽  
Outer Membrane Proteins ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Rhipicephalus Sanguineus ◽  
The United States ◽  
Amblyomma Americanum ◽  
Bacterial Antigen ◽  
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACTRocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is a potentially fatal tick-borne disease in people and dogs. RMSF is reported in the United States and several countries in North, Central, and South America. The causative agent of this disease,Rickettsia rickettsii, is transmitted by several species of ticks, includingDermacentor andersoni,Rhipicephalus sanguineus, andAmblyomma americanum. RMSF clinical signs generally include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, lack of appetite, and rash. If untreated, it can quickly progress into a life-threatening illness in people and dogs, with high fatality rates ranging from 30 to 80%. While RMSF has been known for over a century, recent epidemiological data suggest that the numbers of documented cases and the fatality rates remain high in people, particularly during the last two decades in parts of North America. Currently, there are no vaccines available to prevent RMSF in either dogs or people. In this study, we investigated the efficacies of two experimental vaccines, a subunit vaccine containing two recombinant outer membrane proteins as recombinant antigens (RCA) and a whole-cell inactivated antigen vaccine (WCA), in conferring protection against virulentR. rickettsiiinfection challenge in a newly established canine model for RMSF. Dogs vaccinated with WCA were protected from RMSF, whereas those receiving RCA developed disease similar to that of nonvaccinatedR. rickettsii-infected dogs. WCA also reduced the pathogen loads to nearly undetected levels in the blood, lungs, liver, spleen, and brain and induced bacterial antigen-specific immune responses. This study provides the first evidence of the protective ability of WCA against RMSF in dogs.

scholarly journals Vaginal Mucositis in Measles

1995 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
pp. 279-281
Author(s):  
Ingrid A. Chamales ◽  
Peter G. Napolitano ◽  
Cesar Rosa
Keyword(s):  
Toxic Shock Syndrome ◽  
Spotted Fever ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Vaginal Mucosa ◽  
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever ◽  
Toxic Shock ◽  
Recent Infection ◽  
Presumptive Diagnosis ◽  
Unusual Manifestation ◽  
Antibody Titers

Background: Measles (rubeola), a common childhood exanthema, occurs infrequently in adults. Vaginal mucositis in association with measles is not commonly described.Case: During a recent measles epidemic, 2 female patients presented with high fever, myalgia, exanthema, and prostration. On examination, each patient had marked inflammation and tenderness of the vaginal mucosa, prompting the presumptive diagnosis of toxic shock syndrome. The evolution of the illness was consistent with measles. Cervicovaginal cultures were negative for pathogens. Acute and convalescent antibody titers for Rocky Mountain spotted fever, rubella, leptospirosis, and Proteus Ox-19 were not consistent with a recent infection. The sera also were negative for anti-toxic shock toxin-1 and anti-streptolysin. Measles antibody titers were consistent with a recent infection.Conclusion: Vaginal mucositis is an unusual manifestation of measles that may mimic toxic shock syndrome.

Mitbringsel aus den Ferien

Praxis ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 94 (47) ◽  
pp. 1869-1870
Author(s):  
Balestra ◽  
Nüesch
Keyword(s):  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
Spotted Fever ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Rickettsia Conorii ◽  
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever ◽  
Klinische Diagnose ◽  
Rickettsia Rickettsii

Eine 37-jährige Patientin stellt sich nach der Rückkehr von einer Rundreise durch Nordamerika mit einem Status febrilis seit zehn Tagen und einem makulösem extremitätenbetontem Exanthem seit einem Tag vor. Bei suggestiver Klinik und Besuch der Rocky Mountains wird ein Rocky Mountain spotted fever diagnostiziert. Die Serologie für Rickettsia conorii, die mit Rickettsia rickettsii kreuzreagiert, war positiv und bestätigte die klinische Diagnose. Allerdings konnte der beweisende vierfache Titeranstieg, möglicherweise wegen spät abgenommener ersten Serologie, nicht nachgewiesen werden. Nach zweiwöchiger antibiotischer Therapie mit Doxycycline waren Status febrilis und Exanthem regredient.

Mosquito and Tick-borne Illnesses in the United States. Guidelines for the Recognition and Empiric Treatment of Zoonotic Diseases in the Wilderness.

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 238-257
Author(s):  
Suresh Antony
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Lyme Disease ◽  
Spotted Fever ◽  
Disease Process ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever ◽  
Number Of Patients

Background:In the United States, tick-borne illnesses account for a significant number of patients that have been seen and treated by health care facilities. This in turn, has resulted in a significant morbidity and mortality and economic costs to the country.Methods:The distribution of these illnesses is geographically variable and is related to the climate as well. Many of these illnesses can be diagnosed and treated successfully, if recognized and started on appropriate antimicrobial therapy early in the disease process. Patient with illnesses such as Lyme disease, Wet Nile illness can result in chronic debilitating diseases if not recognized early and treated.Conclusion:This paper covers illnesses such as Lyme disease, West Nile illness, Rocky Mountain Spotted fever, Ehrlichia, Tularemia, typhus, mosquito borne illnesses such as enteroviruses, arboviruses as well as arthropod and rodent borne virus infections as well. It covers the epidemiology, clinical features and diagnostic tools needed to make the diagnosis and treat these patients as well.

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