In the US, a child died of Spotted Rock fever: how to protect yourself

In Indianapolis, a two-year-old girl died. The exact cause of death is not yet established, but doctors suspect that the child is ill. The spotted fever of the Rocky Mountains is a disease that is carried by ticks.

As the aunt of the deceased Kenley - Jordan Clapp - all began with a temperature of about 38 degrees. The hospital did not find anything suspicious and advised to drink plenty of fluids and rest, but when the temperature of Kenly rose to 40 degrees, doctors gave her antibiotics. It did not help, the temperature did not sleep on the fourth day, and then the girl had a light pink rash that later darkened to a dark purple color.





Then the doctors from the Indianapolis Children's Hospital suspected the Spotted Fever of the Rockies. "Due to the fact that she had been given so many antibiotics before, I had to wait until she could get an antibiotic directly from this fever, but Kenley had already died by that time," her aunt says. What is Spotted Fever Spotted fever is carried by ticks that carry the germ-causing agent Rickettsia rickettsii. This disease is found not only in the Rocky Mountains region, but also in many parts of the United States. It is now recognized that this disease is widespread throughout the continental United States.

When mites bite people, the bacterium enters the bloodstream and can cause fever, headaches, abdominal pain, vomiting, muscle pain and rash for 2-14 days. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 3,000 cases of Spotted Rock fever are recorded in the United States each year. These figures can grow because the warming of the climate is favorable for the spread of ticks.

The disease can be fatal, it does not start to heal in the first few days. The most effective method of treatment is the antibiotic doxycycline, which is administered within five days after the onset of symptoms. "Always check for ticks, especially after walking in nature." The sooner you find a tick, the less likely it will get deep under your skin, "recalls Sunil Court, an infectious disease specialist at Southside Health's Hospital in Bay Shore, New York.

Jordan Clapp says that Kenley's family will help other parents learn more about Spotted Fever to save their children. "Now that Kenley is gone, there's nothing we can do, except to help save the lives of other children, tell their parents about the symptoms of the fever." If they read Kenley's story, it will help them. "They will know."