What symptom is commonly associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever?

Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii, typically transmitted through tick bites. The most common symptoms associated with RMSF include flu-like symptoms such as high fever, headache, muscle aches, and malaise. These symptoms usually appear within 2 to 14 days after a tick bite and are part of the initial presentation of the disease.

The high fever, along with the combination of other flu-like symptoms, is indicative of the systemic nature of the infection. As the disease progresses, a characteristic rash often develops, usually starting on the wrists and ankles and then spreading to the trunk. However, it is the flu-like symptoms with high fever that are most prominently recognized early in the disease, making them a hallmark of RMSF.

Other choices like jaundice and bull's-eye rash are not typical of RMSF; jaundice is more commonly associated with liver diseases, while a bull's-eye appearance is characteristic of Lyme disease, another tick-borne illness. A persistent cough does not feature in the typical presentation of either RMSF or Lyme disease, indicating it is also not a relevant symptom to this particular disease. Thus, the association of flu-like symptoms with high