Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever under the Microscope

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is a bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii and transmitted by a tick. Without prompt medical treatment it can cause serious damage to internal organs such as the heart and kidneys.

Early signs and symptoms include high fever and severe headache. A few days later, a scratchy and red rash usually appears on the wrists and ankles and spreads in all directions from there. Some people do not develop a rash, which makes diagnosing the disease difficult. Other symptoms may include muscle aches, chills, nausea and vomiting, restlessness and insomnia. There are times when symptoms do not show up until two weeks after infection.

The infection usually responds well to prompt treatment with antibiotics. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever was first identified in the Rocky Mountains, but can also be found in parts of Canada, Mexico, as well as South and Central America.

The images below of human skin infected with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever were captured using the RB30 biological microscope along with a USB microscopy camera.

Skin infected with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever under the microscope at 40x.

Skin infected with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever under the microscope at 100x.

Skin infected with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever under the microscope at 400x.

Skin infected with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever under the microscope at 400x using a Plan Fluor Objective.