We were just told the other day out little dog has Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever; massive drugs for the dog. I look online to learn more. Basically it said the only state in the Continent of United States where this fever doesn't exist is in Maine. It's here now. Ticks are bad this year, and the Vet said the ticks that carry RMSF are not seen with the naked eye.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) is an important zoonotic disease that may cause clinical signs in both dogs and humans. It is caused by the organism Rickettsia rickettsii, a small gram-negative obligate intracellular parasite from the family Rickettsiaceae. RMSF was first recognized in humans in the western United States during the 1930’s but, despite its name, RMSF is prevalent throughout the contiguous United States with the exception of the state of Maine. Although it has been long identified as a human pathogen, RMSF was not recognized in dogs until the 1970’s.