United States: The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) issued a health advisory on Friday that 3 out of 5 patients with tick-borne disease have died, US News reported.
A deadly tick-transmitted infection termed Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) has been detected among people who have recently visited Baja California in Mexico, the CDC warned.
All of the five patients had visited the Baja city of Tecate within two weeks of their illness. The cases started to occur in late July.
About RMSF
It’s a bacterial disease that spreads through the bite of an infected tick. RMSF is spread by brown dog ticks.
CDC noted that it can be life-threatening if the infected person is not treated early with the antibiotic doxycycline.
Around half of the infected patients died of the Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever within eight days of illness onset.
Early detection of disease
The CDC has urged doctors to start early detection of RMSF and put the suspected patients on doxycycline as early as possible, especially when the person has traveled to Northern Mexico recently.
CDC noted that during the first four days of illness, the symptoms can be mild and non-specific. It may include fever, headache, GI problems, abdominal pain, muscle pain, rash, and swelling around the eyes and the back of the hands.
If the treatment is not given on time, the infection can quickly progress to brain damage, organ failure, breathing problems, and coma. Infection can affect the lungs, heart, kidneys, and nervous system, according to a US News report.
As of now, there is no vaccination for RMSF. The only way to prevent it from occurring is to prevent tick bites.
As per the CDC guidelines, the tick should be removed from the skin as soon as possible when detected.
Out of the five patients, four were younger than 18. CDC also noted that Children are five times more likely to die from the infection than adults.
Three patients were from the US and the rest were from Mexico.
Origin places of the infection
As per the CDC, the Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever normally occurs across northern Mexico and parts of the southwestern United States. Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Nuevo Leon are the states where RMSF is endemic.
People who travel to those regions should wear protective clothing, treat their dogs for ticks, and use insect repellants. They also should perform thorough tick checks on themselves, their children, and their pets after any outdoor activities.