The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned travelers to Mexico’s Baja California region to be careful of ticks, which could transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a bacterial disease. cause fever, headache and rash, and can be fatal.
The travel warning, issued this Friday, comes after a person from San Diego, California, died from the disease. Person He had traveled to Baja California before getting sick, according to San Diego County public health officials. No further information is known about the patient. The last time someone died in San Diego from the tick-borne disease was in 2014, officials said.
In its online advisory, the CDC said it has received reports of cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in travelers who have arrived in the United States from Baja California, although it is not clear how many people have become ill. The travel advisory does not recommend Americans avoid traveling to Mexico or reconsider their plans to travel to the area.
Although there are several types of ticks that can spread Rocky Mountain spotted fever in different parts of the country, the brown dog tick is responsible for the disease in the southwestern United States and Mexico, and is found there year-round. . Dogs usually carry infected ticks.
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Other types of ticks across the country may also be active during the winter due to warming global temperatures. ticks They can also transmit Lyme disease and Alpha-Gal Syndromewhich causes an allergy to red meat.
Symptoms of Rocky Mountain spotted fever include:
- High fever.
- Intense headache.
- Muscle pain.
- Nausea or vomiting.
- Swelling around the eyes or on the backs of the hands.
- Small, flat, reddish spots may appear on the arms and legs before spreading to the trunk. The rash is not itchy.
Evil is not transmitted from person to person.
Prompt treatment is essential. According to the CDC, the disease can kill within five days of a tick bite unless treated with antibiotics.
San Diego health authorities They recommend using insect repellent and check for ticks, including on pets, after outdoor activities.
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“If a person develops a rash or fever after being bitten, they should see a doctor, tell them about the tick bite, when they were bitten, and where they think it occurred,” health officials said online.
