CHAMPAIGN (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - A case of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) has been confirmed in Champaign County.
The illness is a tickborne disease that the CDC calls “one of the deadliest'' in the Americas. In Illinois, the sickness is spread primarily by American dog ticks carrying bacteria, not person to person.
The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) says extended outdoor activities such as dog walking, camping, gardening or hunting can make you susceptible to contracting tick borne diseases. Ticks can appear in any grassy, brushy or wooded environments, the health department says.
The CUPHD is advising residents to check for ticks after returning from indoors and to shower within two hours of coming indoors. The ticks can cling to animals as well.
Ticks can also cling to animals, and the local health officials urge pet owners to check their pets for ticks after returning from outside.
Symptoms of RMSF include a high fever, severe headache, muscle soreness, and, sometimes, a rash on the wrists, forearms and ankles.
It takes one to four days for symptoms to show.
WBBM Staff contributed to this report.
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