Two types of ticks were already known to transmit the disease, but these are not as common and are mostly carried by rodents and dogs living in wild or rural areas. This is the first time that a tick found in house pets is pegged as the culprit.
The discovery is made through an investigation of Arizona's first outbreak, which involved 16 cases and two deaths over the last few years.
Because they have only found infected ticks in Arizona, health officials do not want the public to panic or think this will be a nationwide epidemic. The newly implicated tick lives everywhere in the world.
Rocky Mountain fever is caused by bacteria infecting ticks, which bite animals and humans, subsequently infecting them.
Symptoms surface 5 to 10 days later and include fever, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, lack of appetite and severe headache. Late symptoms include spotted rashes, abdominal pain, joint pain and diarrhea.
Antibiotics are effective when administered early, but fatality rates as high as 20 percent have been reported when the cases are not recognized. The disease is especially severe among children.
From 365 in 1998, cases have risen to 1,514 in 2004.
CDC and Indian Health Service officials from Arizona and New Mexico investigated a cluster of cases in rural eastern Arizona between 2002-2004.
Researchers found infected common brown dog ticks in all of the victims' yards. Ticks were found in the cracks of stucco walls inside homes and on furniture children played on outside.
Officials recommend these steps to avoid ticks:
Wear light-colored clothes so ticks are more visible.Tuck pants legs into your socks.Use insect repellents on skin, clothes and boots.Use a mirror to carefully check for ticks after being in tick-infested areas. Parents should check children's hair for ticks.Use tweezers to remove ticks and protect your fingers with a tissue or gloves. Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull up with steady, even pressure, without twisting or jerking the tick. Apply a disinfectant to the skin and wash your hands.Save the tick so it can be identified if you later become ill. Seal it in a plastic bag and put it in your freezer, and note the date.
