Quarantine episode…Rocky Mountain spotted?

they call the sickness “mountain fever”. is this supposed to be Rocky Mountain spotted fever?

if so, it’s tick borne…unless ticks easily jump from person to person, I can’t see it really being an epidemic? it’s not like bubonic plague which may involve fleas which much more can jump and bite easily from person to person. ticks aren’t quite that efficient.

Anyone understand it differently from the episode? do they fill in any other details that might indicate it’s something else?