Molecular pathogenesis of Rocky Mountain spotted fever: a brief review

Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is a bacterial infection caused by Rickettsia, a diverse group of small Gram-negative rod-shaped α-proteobacteria, and obligates intracellular pathogens, which are free-living in hosts' cell cytoplasm and are transmitted to humans by arthropod vectors. It is the most acute rickettsial diseases known to human, with significant death rates of over 20–30%. They are distinguished by a strictly intracellular position which has, for long, delayed their comprehensive study. This article attempts primarily to focus on the mechanisms of Rickettsia-host cell interactions and the underlying molecular pathogenesis of RMSF. IMC J Med Sci 2022; 16(1): 004 *Correspondence: Bashiru Sani, Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Email: bashmodulus@gmail.com