Board Thread:Off-topic/@comment-26593284-20151012010658/@comment-26537866-20151024023825

Biesaga wrote: I ban you for being an awesome person. I'm at least thankful that I don't have that.

I ban you because I'm going to educate you so you don't end up getting RMSF ((even though it's fairly rare, only 20,000 cases of it being recorded in the US)). Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (also known as Blue Disease), or RMSF, even though it can be found throughout all of the states, it's most commonly found in the south. RMSF is caused by a bacteria known as Rickettsia Rickettsii, or R. Rickettsii. It's pronounced (rick-ets-ee-uh -- rick-ets-ee-eye).

The R. Rickettsii, once inside your body, feeds off of the inner walls of your blood vessels and reproduces. This can cause the vessels to burst, thus causing death by internal bleeding. Having RMSF can also result in you having significantly less platelets ((the things that allow your blood to clot)), a low blood sodium concentration, and elevated liver enzyme levels ((which can cause an enlarged liver)).

RMSF is best diagnosed and treated within the first four days of being infected, otherwise it may be too late.

Symptoms of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever include: red spots ((obviously)) that may be mistaken for chicken pox. These red spots are a rash that is caused by the lack of platelets. Your liver may become enlarged which, along with internal hemorrhaging, endangers your life. Some permanent changes to your body after treatment of RMSF may include partial paralysis, gangrene in extremities, loss of bowel or bladder control, or movement and language disorders.

As the R. Rickettsii infects the cells lining your vessels throughout your body, it can easily either travel to your brain or cut the bloodflow to your brain, thus making it another good reason to get it diagnosed as quickly as possible.

The bacteria is spread through Ticks.

Though a tick would have to be latched on for a few hours in order for the disease to infect you, if any of the bodily fluids of an infected tick touch an open area of your skin, like say, a fresh wound, you will also be infected. In order to prevent infection, it's best to use bug spray to prevent any ticks from even touching you.

If you don't have bug spray, it's best to, after discovering a tick, keep the specimen so if you do start seeing symptoms of RMSF, you can bring it in for future study.