Rocky Mountain spotted fever
noun
: an acute disease that is characterized by chills, fever, prostration, pains in muscles and joints, and a red to purple eruption and that is caused by a rickettsial bacteria (Rickettsia rickettsii) usually transmitted by an ixodid tick and especially the American dog tick, brown dog tick, or a wood tick
Examples of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Lyme disease, Powassan virus, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Heartland virus are just a few of them.
—
Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 16 Oct. 2024
Tick bites can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tick-borne relapsing fever.
—Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 18 June 2024
This tick, along with the American dog tick and brown dog tick, can infect people with a potentially fatal disease called Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF).5
Where Do Ticks Bite?
The first thing the tick will likely do is look for a good spot to bite.
—Maria Masters, Health, 9 June 2024
The creatures’ bites can spread a range of rarer illnesses, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Powassan virus disease, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, and alpha-gal syndrome.
—Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 31 May 2024
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Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 16 Oct. 2024
Tick bites can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tick-borne relapsing fever.
—Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 18 June 2024
This tick, along with the American dog tick and brown dog tick, can infect people with a potentially fatal disease called Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF).5
Where Do Ticks Bite?
The first thing the tick will likely do is look for a good spot to bite.
—Maria Masters, Health, 9 June 2024
The creatures’ bites can spread a range of rarer illnesses, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Powassan virus disease, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, and alpha-gal syndrome.
—Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 31 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Cite this Entry
“Rocky Mountain spotted fever.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Rocky%20Mountain%20spotted%20fever. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
Rocky Mountain spotted fever
noun
Rocky Moun·tain spotted fever
ˈräk-ē-ˈmau̇nt-ᵊn- 
: an acute bacterial disease that is characterized by chills, fever, prostration, pains in muscles and joints, and a red purple eruption and that is caused by a bacterium of the genus Rickettsia (R. rickettsii) usually transmitted by ixodid ticks and especially by the American dog tick, brown dog tick, and Rocky Mountain wood tick
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