ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, May 23, 1996 TAG: 9605230054
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
A case of Rocky Mountain spotted fever - a disease carried by dog ticks - was confirmed in Pulaski County, according to a health official.
Dr. Jody Hershey, director of the New River Health District, said in a news release that this is the first reported local case of the fever this year. He released no information on the condition of the infected person.
In recent years, about 20 cases and one death have been reported in connection with the disease throughout Virginia, according to the release.
The health district described the disease and its course as follows: The dog tick carries the organism that causes Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The tick is usually attached for four to six hours before it transmits the disease.
Symptoms, which begin two to 14 days after the tick bite, include fever, muscle pain, severe headache, chills and upset stomach. Around the third day, a red, spotted rash appears on the wrists and ankles and spreads to palms and soles and then much of the rest of the body.
Hershey suggested taking steps to prevent tick bites by avoiding tall grass and dense vegetation, wearing long-sleeve shirts and tucking pant legs into socks, walking in the center of mowed paths and wearing tick repellent.
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