Septic Shock Caused by Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in a Suburban Texas Patient with Pet Dog Exposure: A Case Report

Patient: Female, 45 Final Diagnosis: Rocky mountain spotted fever Symptoms: Altered mental state • ataxia • dyspnea • fever • headache Medication: — Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: General and Internal Medicine OBJECTIVE: Unusual clinical course BACKGROUND: Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is associated with high mortality and requires prompt identification and treatment to ensure better outcomes. CASE REPORT: We describe an advanced case of RMSF in a 45-year-old female patient with pet dog exposure who presented with altered mental status, dyspnea, and ataxia progressing to septic shock and acute hypoxic respiratory failure requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation. CONCLUSIONS: This case illustrates the importance of keeping RMSF in the differential diagnosis in patient populations outside of the usual geographic areas of incidence in the appropriate clinical setting.