title: Rocky Mountain spotted fever in Arizona: documentation of heavy environmental infestations of Rhipicephalus sanguineus at an endemic site.
abstract: A recent epidemiologic investigation identified 16 cases and 2 deaths from Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) in two eastern Arizona communities. Prevalence studies were conducted by collecting free-living ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) from the home sites of RMSF patients and from other home sites within the community. Dry ice traps and flagging confirmed heavy infestations at many of the home sites. Only Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks were identified and all developmental stages were detected. It is evident that under certain circumstances, this species does transmit Rickettsia rickettsii to humans and deserves reconsideration as a vector in other geographic areas.
authors.affiliation: Viral and Rickettsial Zoonoses Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mail Stop G-13, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. wan6@cdc.gov
authors.forename: William L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Nicholson
authors.forename: Christopher D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Paddock
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Demma
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Traeger
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dickson
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McQuiston
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Swerdlow
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001130:Arizona / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007814:Larva / Q000382:microbiology; D048508:Rhipicephalus sanguineus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology*; D012373:Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology*