Mitchell County Teen Dies From Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (06/20/08)
The Mitchell Community of Estatoe is mourning the loss of a teenager who died of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
17 year old Ethan Robinson died Sunday June 15th.
The family says the illness spread quickly after they took him to the emergency room on Friday the 13th. He was given antibiotics and sent home. On Saturday, Ethan complained of pain, a sore throat and severe rash.
His family says they believe doctors did all they could to save their son.
Posts: 7306 | From Martinsville,VA,USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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tdtid
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
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posted
That's so sad and really scary.
Cathy
-------------------- "To Dream The Impossible Dream" Man of La Mancha Posts: 2638 | From New Hampshire | Registered: Oct 2006
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posted
The family says the illness spread quickly after they took him to the emergency room on Friday the 13th. He was given antibiotics and sent home. On Saturday, Ethan complained of pain, a sore throat and severe rash.
sent him home - key words - should have put this boy on IV with RMSF!!!! Horrible!
-------------------- Seeking renewed health & vitality. --------------------------------- Do not take anything I say as medical advice - I am NOT a dr! Posts: 830 | From TN | Registered: Aug 2007
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
-
So very sad.
And I am furious.
Education, education, education.
Action, action, action.
Citizens need to be taught how to treat immediately in such cases so as to prevent delays in treatment. Every minute counts.
tickled1
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
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posted
My god! Is RMSF spreading? Do all ticks carry it? I live in MA. Is it here?
Posts: 2541 | From Northeast | Registered: Jan 2008
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Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
State often leads in RMSF cases
GINA GOFF
Wanda Ritchie of Concord wrote to say she thought Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever deserved attention in this column. I agree!
Many of us have become complacent about this and other tick-borne diseases. And folks who are new to the area may simply not know that RMSF is the most severe and most frequently reported tick-borne illness in North Carolina. This state often reports the most cases in the nation.
Furthermore, tick-borne diseases occur statewide, but the majority of RMSF cases are reported from the Piedmont Crescent area along Interstate 85, between Charlotte and Raleigh. Cabarrus County is part of that area.
According to the N.C. Division of Public Health, 544 cases of RMSF and 47 cases of Lyme disease were reported in North Carolina during last year, and 23 cases of RMSF were reported in Cabarrus County between 2000 and 2005.
RMSF is caused by Rickettsia rickettsii, a species of bacteria that is spread to humans by tick bites. Initial signs and symptoms of the disease include sudden onset of fever, headache and muscle pain, followed by development of rash. (The rash, however, may be absent in up to half of the cases.)
The disease can be difficult to diagnose in the early stages, and without prompt and appropriate treatment, it can be fatal.
Tick avoidance and removal
To avoid ticks, avoid tall grasses and weeds, wear long pants and tuck your pants into your socks and your shirttail into your pants. Check for ticks carefully and often.If you use an insect repellent, read the precautions carefully, especially for children (see DEET at end of column).
Proper and prompt removal of ticks is very important. If a tick is attached, use fine-tipped tweezers to remove it, getting as far forward near the head as possible and pulling steadily. Don't jerk or twist. (Don't use oils or other methods to try to kill or dislodge the tick.)
Wash the area (and your hands) with soap and water, and apply alcohol. Make a note on a calendar of the day you removed the tick. If you become ill in the next three weeks, be sure to tell your physician the date you removed the tick.
Wanda's story
Having had a personal experience with RMSF, Wanda asked whether she could share her story. So here it is:
"In 2007, I became a victim of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. I did not have the `pleasure' of meeting the tick, which decided I was an attractive target for a meal of blood, but the little critter certainly left his/her `calling card.'
"A severe frontal headache was my first clue that something was wrong. Perhaps I should have recognized that as being a symptom of RMSF. However, I never once considered that I had been bitten by a tick and might have RMSF. After all, I was recuperating from recent bilateral knee replacement surgery and was hardly up to romping in the woods, or anywhere else.
"With the severe headache and vague flu-like symptoms, I saw a health professional on a Wednesday, who suggested I see an ENT doctor, suspecting that I had an upper sinus infection.
"On Friday, the health professional I saw at the ENT office made arrangements for a CT scan of my upper sinuses, to be done on Monday (which was later canceled).
"The unbearable headache continued. Friday night and into Saturday, I began to have more symptoms: fever, chills, nausea, aching of every joint and muscle in my body.
"Late Saturday night, I noticed a very fine, dark red rash on both feet and legs. By 2 a.m. Sunday, I was so ill my husband took me to the emergency room at Carolinas Medical Center -- NorthEast in Concord.
"The emergency room doctor was very familiar with the symptoms of RMSF and the telltale rash that had appeared. He immediately started treatment with doxycycline, a common antibiotic that works well for RMSF.
"The rash does not usually appear until the later stages of RMSF, and sometimes not at all, so the doctor asked my permission to invite some of the ER staff in to see what he called a `classic case' of RMSF.
"He explained that many medical professionals have never seen the rash. Patients most often present with symptoms before a rash appears. I was so grateful to finally find out what was causing all my misery, I was happy to have my red-polka-dot legs and feet become a `teaching tool.'
"My purpose in writing this account of my personal experience with RMSF is to inform others of the seriousness and potential fatality of this disease. I have been amazed that so many people, particularly newcomers to Cabarrus County and North Carolina, are not aware of RMSF.
"From spring until fall, ticks are looking for their prey. Ticks can invade urban areas as well as rural areas, even the grass on your lawn.
"As in my experience, I did not see a tick and did not know I had been bitten, so it is important to also watch for symptoms that are typical of RMSF and see your doctor immediately. In the early stages of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, the symptoms can, as did mine, mimic other illnesses."
posted
Laura, it is absolutely in Mass and has been for decades.
My mother got it in Mass in 1971. She may well have been the first one. She was dying and the docs in Boston had no idea what she had until some doc visiting from Tennessee who'd seen it before told them what it was.
She survived and lives today.
Posts: 21 | From Texas | Registered: Jun 2008
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posted
Yes, As Melanie pointed out North Carolina is one of the top states with the most cases of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
Very common in parts of Virginia as well. Last summer when hubby was in the local hospital the docs and nurses mentioned having seen at least half a dozen cases locally last Spring -- mostly young kids. The worst case developed coagulation problems and had to have either one or both legs amputated.
Many people don't know that you can get Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever WITHOUT a tick bite. All you have to do is touch an infected tick !!!!!!
Dog ticks are one of the major ticks which carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
In patients who do get the rash, one of the distinctive things about the rash is that it is often on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
Bea Seibert
Posts: 7306 | From Martinsville,VA,USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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I have done some additional reading about RMSF. Not everyone gets the rash -- think it is maybe 80%. Another thing to consider is that Ehrlichia can also cause a rash -- think sometimes the tests can also cross react and you might test positive for RMSF when you actually have Ehrlichia instead.
Would ask your LLMD about testing.
Fry lab has some new antibody tests looking for Rickettsia (panel includes RMSF and Q fever). Not sure which other labs test for this.
-------------------- This is NOT medical advice - and should NOT be used to replace your MD's advice. Info is only the opinion of those who publish the site.
The shortest way to do many things is to do only one thing at a time.
cb Posts: 669 | From somewherebetweentherocks | Registered: Mar 2008
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This is just horrible! Just today in our paper (I live in central Illinois), was an article that a dog over the past weekend was diagnosed with this. The paper quoted no cases of people contract this in central Illnois. Time will tell!
Posts: 117 | From Illinois | Registered: Apr 2008
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Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
Warnings Extended After Patient Dies Of Tick Disease
POSTED: 8:43 am EDT July 1, 2008 UPDATED: 8:57 am EDT July 1, 2008
WINSTON-SALEM -- With a patient at Baptist Hospital dying from complications related to Rocky Mountain spotted fever last week, and North Carolina averaging more cases than any other state, authorities are warning residents to be on the lookout for ticks.
Preventing Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
The illness isn't common, but North Carolina reported more than 650 cases last year.
"Ticks are anywhere in the outdoors that we're at," said Lt. Steven Roberson of the Sauratown Fire Department Rescue.
He said that with people heading outdoors this summer, it's a good time to be reminded of the dangers associated with ticks and what citizens can do to prevent them.
"Your arms and your legs are easy to see because you're wearing short sleeves," he said. "Have someone else look through your head and if you feel a little bump in there, have someone inspect it."
Ticks can carry a variety of bacteria, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever can be particularly difficult for the body to recover from.
Patients usually feel feverish and nauseous about a week after the bite occurs, followed by a rash that develops on the arms or ankles.
There can also be joint pain, stomach pain and diarrhea. Doctors say it usually takes several weeks to recover.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it's important to wear light-colored clothing when venturing outdoors. That makes it easy to spot ticks.
The CDC also said using repellents with deet is also good way to prevent ticks.
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