The following symptoms for each disease are common to humans and animals with minor exceptions. For example, a rash is not easily found in animals. Man, dogs and cats, farm animals, and wildlife species are affected. People should examine themselves and their pets for ticks after each trip outside. The onset of symptoms may be abrupt.
Common symptoms are fever, chills, severe headaches, muscle pains, and a rash.
The mortality rate for Rocky Mountain spotted fever is less than 10 percent if an antibiotic is started promptly. Some patients may require supportive therapies, such as intravenous fluids, steroids, and nasogastric feedings. The exact treatment should be determined by the animal's veterinarian or, in the case of a human, a personal physician. This disease is most commonly caused by female hard ticks of the Dermacentor species. A flacid paralysis progresses from the back to the front of the affected animal and is due to a toxin injected when the ticks feed.