Introduction
In this weeks assignment we were asked to write three different definitions for a difficult term in your profession. This exercise is important as it allows me to practice being descriptive, coherent and learn to cater my paragraphs for my intended audience.
Term:
Rickettsia
Parenthetical definition:
Rickettsia (causes Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever)
Sentence definition:
The Rickettsia species causes Rocky Mountain spotted fever, epidemic typhus and other spotted fevers
Expanded definition:
The Rickettsiae are a diverse collection of gram-negative bacteria commonly found in
ticks, lice, fleas, mites, chiggers and mammals. They can reside in the cytoplasm or in the nucleus of the cell they invade. Structurally, they have gram-negative cell walls, lacking flagella with small genomes of roughly 1 – 1.5 million bases
The virus was named in honour of pathologist H.T. Ricketts, who was the first to identify it and died of typhus as a result of contact with it. It is not to be confused with the etymology of rickets, which is the result of a vitamin D deficiency.
Incidence:
According to the CDC, the incidence of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) has increased from less than 2 cases per million persons in 2000 to over 6 cases pre million in 2010. Whereas, cases resulting in fatalities has declined to less than 0.5% (CDC, 2013).
The figure (CDC, 2013) shows the incidence and case fatality from 1920-2010. Note periods of increased incidence between 1930 and 1950, and 1968 through 1990.
RMSF is the most severe and most frequently reported rickettsial disease in the US.
Persons at Risk
The number of reported cases of RMSF is seen to be highest in Males, American Indians, and people at least 40 years old. Specifically, individuals frequently exposed to dogs and who reside in wooded areas, or areas with high grass are at risk for infection (CDC, 2013). There is increased incidence as age increases, with a prominent incidence rate observed in children in the age range of 5-9 years old, and 55-64 (CDC, 2013).
Citations:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2013). Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
(RMSF). USA.gov. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/rmsf/stats/
Harper, Douglas. “Online Etymology Dictionary.” Etymonline. Retrieved from: http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=rickettsia. Last Accessed: Sept. 17. 2014
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