Final answer:
The primary treatment for Rocky Mountain spotted fever is doxycycline. Diagnosis relies on clinical symptoms and tests like PCR and serologic testing, and chloramphenicol serves as a secondary treatment option.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first-line treatment for Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is doxycycline. RMSF is a serious and potentially life-threatening disease caused by the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii, transmitted through tick bites.
Diagnosis of RMSF can be challenging and often relies on a combination of clinical symptoms, particularly the characteristic petechial rash that may start at the hands and wrists, and diagnostic tests such as PCR and serologic testing. While culture methods for this bacterium are difficult and dangerous due to its aerosolization potential, diagnosis is critical as prompt treatment with doxycycline is essential. In cases where doxycycline is contraindicated, chloramphenicol is considered the second choice of treatment.
It is also important to differentiate RMSF from other tickborne diseases like relapsing fever, which have different recommended first-line antibiotics, such as tetracycline or erythromycin for tickborne relapsing fever.