According to a new study, basic tick bite prevention techniques could considerably decrease the number of patients diagnosed with Rocky Mountain spotted fever, or RMSF.

The study is linked to the increasing costs related to the disease among several American Indian tribes in Arizona. Treatment, time off work and loss of lifetime productivity as a result of early death are also included in the cost.

According to researchers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Indian Health Services and the affected tribes, the study probably undervalues the actual cost of the epidemic; this is because it doesn't consist of long-term losses from expensive medical procedures and disability.

Rickettsia rickettsii bacteria are the reason behind Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The disease spreads through the bite of an infected tick. According to the researchers, the disease has recently become a serious problem among American Indians in Arizona. The brown dog tick transmits the bacteria in Arizona and untreated dogs and other pets could lead to the condition.

Naomi Drexler, a CDC epidemiologist and one of the study authors, said in an agency news release, "Rocky Mountain spotted fever is completely preventable. State, federal and tribal health authorities have been working together since the start of the epidemic to build effective community-based tick control programs, and these efforts have produced remarkable reductions in human cases".

A total of 205 cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever were reviewed by the researchers. These cases occurred among members of two tribes that were most affected by the epidemic.