Petechial rash, hemorrhagic seen at RMSF
Petechial rash, hemorrhagic seen at RMSF

Black Measles: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

James S Pendergraft by James S Pendergraft
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Today, black measles is also known as Rocky Mountain spotted fever. This disease was originally discovered in 1896, somewhere in the area of Idaho in the United States of America.

When doctors discovered black measles, it was hard to find adequate information on the causes and symptoms. However, much research has been done over the course of many years, and today one can find significant causes and symptoms of this disease.

It is caused by a bacterium know as Rickettsia rickettsii and is spread by ticks. There are several symptoms associated with this disease. The following descriptions will provide a proper overview of this disease. It will help you attain a better understanding of the different causes and help you to watch out for the symptoms too.

Symptoms: There are several considerations when taking a look at the symptoms. For instance, the following will help you to identify that there is something unusual and you will hopefully get yourself examined immediately.

  • To begin with, one of the most common symptoms is a fever. Both moderate and high fevers are associated with many different diseases. Therefore whenever you experience a fever, and you should immediately get it checked out. 
  • Second comes vomiting and sensations of nausea. 
  • Chills. 
  • Deep muscle pains. 
  • Lack of appetite. 
  • Severe muscle pain. 

Another thing that you must watch out for is rashes. It takes about two days for the rash to become evident and it is usually followed by a fever. The rash is likely to be more like red spots; they could be small and pink. For many, rashes are believed to be itchy, but in this case, the person may not experience such itching sensations.

Causes

If you are wondering how this disease is caused, you would be right in thinking it is because of bacteria; it comes from ticks. These bacteria grow inside the cells of the person's body that it is trying to infect. It multiplies in the cells and also damages the infected cells. Rickettsia is a genus that belongs to a bacterial tribe. This particular genus has many other different species of bacteria that can cause human diseases. The main cause of Black Measles is the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii.

Treatment

As far as treatment is concerned, the first thing that needs to be done is to see a doctor. No matter how slight the condition is, medical intervention is necessary. Doctors will prescribe certain antibiotics to take care of the problem. Most doctors go with Doxycycline, which helps in reducing the intensity or severity of the condition and the treatment plan should begin immediately after diagnosis.

This means that the doctor must first look at the lab results and only then go about prescribing any treatment.

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http://www.womenscenter.com/ Dr. James S. Pendergraft opened the Orlando Women's Center in March 1996 to provide a full range of health care for women.

Last modified onSaturday, 07 January 2012 09:49
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