How do people get Rocky Mountain spotted fever?
The organism that causes Rocky Mountain spotted fever is transmitted by the bite of an infected tick. The American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis) and Rocky Mountain wood tick (Dermacentor andersoni) are the primary athropods (vectors) which transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever bacteria in the United States. The brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) has also been implicated as a vector as well as the tick Amblyomma cajennense in countries south of the United States.
