Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever News and Research

RSS

Tick-borne viruses show concerning potential for future pandemics

A study led by a University of California, Riverside biomedical scientist shows how a family of tick-borne viruses known as orthonairoviruses can evade immune defenses, offering important insights into emerging infectious disease threats and the potential pandemic risk posed by these viruses.

14 Jul 2026

Researchers uncover how emerging tick borne nairoviruses evade human immunity

Warmer temperatures bring out ticks that spread diseases such as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

14 Jul 2026

Climate change drives emerging vector-borne diseases in Canada

Climate change is affecting the local ecology in Canada, contributing to emerging tick- and mosquito-borne diseases and infections in humans, argue authors of a commentary published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.260668.

19 May 2026

Study maps distribution of disease-carrying ticks across Illinois

Scientists analyzed the distribution of three potentially harmful tick species in Illinois, identifying regions of the state with higher numbers of these ticks and, therefore, at greater risk of infection with multiple tick-borne diseases.

22 Sep 2025

Federal cuts ripple through a bioscience hub in rural Montana

Scientists are often careful to take off their work badges when they leave the campus of one of the nation's top research facilities, here in southwestern Montana's Bitterroot Valley.

27 May 2025

Study warns of increasing Rocky Mountain spotted fever cases among children in California

Recent cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in children underscore the effectiveness of mcf-NGS for early detection and timely treatment in non-endemic areas.

15 Oct 2024

You rarely see them and might not even remember being bitten, but ticks can pose a serious threat, reveals study

The prevalence of common tick-borne diseases (TBDs) among Johnston County citizens.

16 Jan 2024

Study identifies a promising target for development of vaccine against spotted fever

A protein found in cells of the hard tick Amblyomma sculptum, the main vector of the bacterium that causes Brazilian spotted fever (also known as Rocky Mountain spotted fever), is essential to the tick's survival while feeding, making it a promising target for development of a vaccine, according to an article published in the journal Parasites & Vectors.

7 Jun 2023

Researchers design educational course to inform practitioners on current ranges of ticks and disease risk

Anyone who enjoys taking walks through the woods or grassy fields when the weather is warm knows that checking for ticks afterward is a must.

3 Jan 2023

Prescribed fire could play a role in reducing the abundance of ticks and pathogen transmission

Prescribed fire - a tool increasingly used by forest managers and landowners to combat invasive species, improve wildlife habitat and restore ecosystem health - also could play a role in reducing the abundance of ticks and the transmission of disease pathogens they carry, according to a team of scientists.

24 Oct 2022

Study provides key insights into the spread of Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Findings from a new study are providing important insights into the spread of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which is transmitted from dogs to people through ticks. The new data are being used to create models that could help predict, and possibly prevent, future outbreaks.

5 Apr 2022

The ER charged him $6,500 for six stitches. No wonder his critically ill wife avoided the ER.

Jason and DeeAnn Dean recently relocated to her hometown of Dellrose, Tennessee, where she grew up on a farm. Both in their late 40s, they're trying to start a green dream business that combines organic farming with a health and wellness consulting company.

19 Nov 2021

New sensitive marker may enable early diagnosis, treatment of spotted fever rickettsioses

Rickettsiae are bacteria that cause severe, potentially lethal human infections, including Mediterranean spotted fever and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

16 Jan 2020

NIH awards new contract to integrate pathogen and vector genomics database

A team led by scientists at the University of Pennsylvania and University of Georgia provides thousands of researchers around the world with access to the Eukaryotic Pathogen Genomics Database (EuPathDB.org), a collection of resources for analyzing large-scale datasets associated with microbial pathogens.

16 Oct 2019

Ticks now carrying multiple diseases, says new study

A new study published in the journal mBio reports that ticks carry many more disease-causing agents than just those responsible for causing Lyme disease.

17 Sep 2019

Sequencing data could be used to prevent lyme disease

Researchers have successfully sequenced the genome of the animal that could carry the bacteria causing Lyme disease.

25 Jul 2019

Starved ticks try harder to find hosts

Ticks are hardy little brutes that can go as long as a year without a meal. Now scientists at the University of Cincinnati say the hungrier ticks are, the harder they try to find you or other hosts. The findings could have implications for the spread of tick-borne disease such as Lyme or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

21 Nov 2018

New blood test shows promise to revolutionize diagnosis of tick-borne diseases

A new blood test called the Tick-Borne Disease Serochip (TBD Serochip) promises to revolutionize the diagnosis of tick-borne disease by offering a single test to identify and distinguish between Borrelia burgdorferi, the pathogen responsible for Lyme disease, and seven other tick-borne pathogens.

18 Feb 2018

Few tips to remove a tick and prevent future bites

As tick populations grow and spread across the country, their prevalence is increasing the public's risk for some troubling diseases. Of these diseases, say dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Powassan virus and alpha-gal syndrome- a mysterious red meat allergy- are among the most serious.

19 Sep 2017

New research helps unravel ecological interplay of African bat, novel virus and a parasite

If there is anything scientists are certain of when it comes to bats and their supposed role in causing human disease, it is that they still have a lot to learn.

13 Jul 2017