These repellents are effective but occasionally cause toxic reactions, especially in children. Body hygiene and frequent searches for ticks are important to prevent infection. Ticks should be removed carefully, because rickettsiae may be transmitted if an infected tick that is swollen with blood is crushed between the fingers. There are no practical means of ridding entire outdoor areas of ticks. However, controlling populations of small animals helps reduce the number of ticks.
Insecticides are also helpful.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever can cause serious illness or death. Therefore, when a doctor suspects Rocky Mountain spotted fever, an antibiotic is given immediately, before laboratory test results become available. Antibiotic therapy has significantly reduced the death rate from about 20 to 7 percent. Death usually occurs when treatment is delayed. Severely ill patients with Rocky Mountain spotted fever often have inadequate blood circulation, which can lead to kidney failure, anemia, tissue swelling, and coma.