Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

Instructor

Darvin Scott Smith, MD
Infectious Disease Specialist, San Mateo Medical Center

Description

In this course on Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, taught by Dr. D. Scott Smith, a Stanford-trained infectious disease physican at San Mateo Medical Center, medical professionals gain essential knowledge on diagnosing and managing this serious tick-borne disease. Dr. Smith, who has extensive experience in the field and holds a leadership role in the International Society of Travel Medicine, leads this comprehensive course. It covers everything from the epidemiology and risk factors associated with RMSF to the latest diagnostic tools and best clinical treatment strategies.

Learning objectives

1. Define RMSF and its causative agent
2. Discuss the epidemiology of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in the US, including risks and seasonality
3. Explain who will most likely encounter this disease and list the differential diagnosis
4. Explore the latest diagnostic tools for RMSF including serological tests and molecular assays
5. Outline the best clinical treatment strategies for RMSF

CME Credit Pending. Application for CME credit has been filed with the American Academy of Family Physicians. Determination of credit is pending.

References

1.  Kutcher, S. E., & Bhargava, H. N. (2020). Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Clinics in family practice, 12(2), 321-330. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7790062/)

2.  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/rmsf/index.html

3.  Nadler, J. L., et al. (2018). Ambulatory care for spotted fever rickettsiosis in the United States, 2000-2015. Emerging infectious diseases, 24(12), 2232-2239. (https://www.cdc.gov/otherspottedfever/index.html)

4.  Williamson, P. C., et al. (2019). Seasonality of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in Missouri, 2000–2017. The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, 101(3), 828-833.

5.  McQuiston, D. H., et al. (2017). Rocky Mountain spotted fever and other rickettsial diseases. In D. G. Maki (Ed.), Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett’s Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases (Vol. 2, pp. 2524-2540). Elsevier. 6.  Jay, R., & Armstrong, P. A. (2020). Clinical characteristics of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in the United States: A literature review. Journal of vector borne diseases, 57(2), 114-120. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32032202/)

7.  Kutcher, S. E., & Bhargava, H. N. (2020). Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Clinics in family practice, 12(2), 321-330. 

8.  Demma, L. J., et al. (2018), Images in clinical medicine. Rocky Mountain spotted fever. New England Journal of Medicine, 378(13), 1241.