TIJUANA, Baja California — Seventeen people have died so far this year in Baja California from a disease carried by ticks, according to the state’s health secretary Adrian Medina Amarillas. Eight of the deaths were reported in Tijuana.
Ticks can transmit Rickettsia, which can lead to serious illness if it goes untreated.
“In a worst-case scenario, that bacteria is in a high enough dose that it can cause illness or disease in the person or animal,” said Amy Murillo, Assistant Professor of Entomology at UC Riverside. “1-2 weeks later, you might start to show signs of illness. Some signs include fever or general tiredness, malaise, or rash.”
‘Dermacentor variabilis,’ or ‘American Dog Tick,’ commonly called, is found all over Southern California, Arizona, and Mexico.
“Ticks are widespread, especially in natural areas, areas where grass or vegetation are allowed to grow long, so really any time that you think you may have encountered them, the most important thing to do is a tick check,” said Murillo.
If a pet isn’t treated with a preventative, ticks can hitch a ride on our furry friends and find their way into our homes. Murillo has a few tips on where they like to hide on your body.
“From head to toe, ticks can attach anywhere. They like hairlines or behind ears or in armpits, so finding the ticks and removing them quickly is going to be the most important thing,” said Murillo.
If you find a tick already attached to your skin, here’s a tip on getting it off.
“The best way to remove them is to get a pair of tweezers and get as close to that skin that you can interface and to pull straight out as hard as you can and as quickly as you can so that you get all of it out,” described Murillo.
The condition associated with Rickettsia from these types of ticks is known as Rocky Mountain Spotty Fever, and according to the CDC, there are thousands of reported cases in the U.S. each year. Still, the mortality rate is less than 0.5%.
“With the treatment of antibiotics, people often get better, and it tends to have low mortality when treatments are available,” said Murillo.
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