In contrast to Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever: a. may be confused with rheumatoid arthritis. b. causes painful joint swelling after a few days or weeks. c. can cause paralysis and cardiorespiratory collapse. d. presents with flu-like symptoms but not a bull's-eye rash.

d. presents with flu-like symptoms but not a bull's-eye rash.

• Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) are both tick-borne illnesses, but they are caused by different organisms and present with different symptoms. Lyme disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi and is often identified by a characteristic "bull's-eye" rash known as erythema migrans, although not everyone with Lyme will develop this rash. Flu-like symptoms can also occur in Lyme disease.
• Rocky Mountain spotted fever, on the other hand, is caused by the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii. While it can present with flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, and muscle aches, it typically does not manifest a "bull's-eye" rash. Instead, RMSF is characterized by a spotted rash that usually starts on the wrists, forearms, and ankles before spreading to the trunk of the body, but this rash may not appear in all patients or may appear late in the disease process.