Oklahoma woman has all of her limbs amputated after contracting Rocky Mountain spotted fever from one tick bite

An Oklahoma woman has lost all of her limbs after being bitten by a tick and developing a deadly illness. 

Jo Rogers, 40, of Shawnee, has been put into a medical coma after contracting Rocky Mountain spotted fever on lake vacation in the northeast of the state this July.

The mother of two originally thought she had the flu, but doctor's ended up having to amputate her arms at the elbows and both of her legs to prevent vital organs from being affected.

Jo Rogers, 40 (right), of Shawnee, Oklahoma, has had all of her limbs amputated after contracting Rocky Mountain spotted fever during a lake vacation. Above, she poses in the woods with her husband Keith

Rogers received only one bite from a tick and originally thought she had the flu before being taken to the hospital as her condition deteriorated. Above, a file photo of the American Dog Tick

Her right leg was cut at mid-thigh and the left below the knee, KOCO reported.

Rogers received the illness, which has around 2000 reported cases each year, after receiving only one tick bite.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever has been known to kill those infected with it, with 75 per cent mortality rates if left untreated, according to Mayo Clinic. 

If caught and treated in the first several days it kills less than one per cent of those affected by the disease that damages and inflames blood vessels.

It is carried most commonly by the American Dog Tick, with central states such as Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma seeing the most cases. 

Symptoms of the disease include fatigue, fever, headache, vomiting and muscle soreness.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever is named for the rash it causes. The bloodborne illness affects vessels and leads to amputations to prevent its spread to central organs. Above, a photo from the CBC of the rash

Rogers's family has begun raising money for the mother of two boys after realizing that the rest of their lives would change following the disease. A GoFundMe page has already raised more than $8,000 for prosthetics

Rogers's condition deteriorated, but she wasn't taken to the hospital during the first five days of symptoms, when treatment is most effective.

One of the most commons signs of RMSF is the development of a rash around the wrists and ankles, but family said that Rogers did not receive any of the small pink dots.

Tests for West Nile Virus and meningitis both came back negative as the mother developed a blood clot in her lungs. 

Doctors have also put the patient on dialysis to prevent her kidneys from failing, according to the Shawnee News-Star. 

'She is still on a ventilator and being kept sedated to help with pain,' her cousin Lisa Morgan said on a GoFundMe page to help Rogers's family with medical bills.

It has raised more than $8,900 as of Friday morning to help support Rogers's husband Keith and her two sons, 17 and 12.

The family has insurance, though the page says that they will struggle trying to pay for prosthetics , car renovations and rehabilitation.

WHAT IS ROCKY MOUNTAIN SPOTTED FEVER? 

Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a disease caused by bacteria called Rickettsia rickettsii.

It sees around 2000 reported cases in the US each year, according to the CDC, with most cases occurring in the central states such as Oklahoma, Missouri and Arkansas. 

Most often associated with ticks, the bloodborne illness damages blood vessels, causing them to become inflamed. 

common

Other parts of the body such as the heart, lungs and brain can also become inflamed, leading to delirium and organ failure.

It is especially dangerous to small blood vessels such as those found in people's toes and fingers, meaning that these extremities are often amputated to prevent the development of gangrene. 

Early symptoms include fatigue, fever, headache, vomiting and muscle soreness.

One common and unique sign of the disease is a distinctive rash with small pink spots that become darker and more raised over time.

The rash often appears on wrists and ankles before spreading toward the torso and vital organs, according to Mayo Clinic.

However, around 10 per cent of those with RMSF never develop a rash and are easily misdiagnosed. 

It is not contagious and ticks can only transfer it to humans after attaching themselves for around six hours. 

The common antibiotic doxycycline is often used for treatment. 

Though originally diagnosed in the western US, Rocky Mountain spotted fever is also found in Canada as well as Central and South America.

Only a small percentage of ticks, between one and three per cent, carry Rickettsia rickettsii, according to the Oklahoma Department of Health.