Tick bite mystery in NC: RMSF and other infections under investigation
A Chatham County woman fell severely ill with sepsis after a tick bite; doctors suspect Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a potentially deadly tick-borne disease, though antibody tests can’t distinguish among related bacteria. Additional testing showed antibodies to Ehrlichia chaffeensis and a Capnocytophaga canimorsus bacterium from dog saliva, suggesting multiple possible factors. Clinicians advise not delaying treatment for suspected RMSF and emphasize tick prevention and careful tick checks after outdoor exposure.