Deadly Tick-Borne Outbreak: CDC Urges Urgent Action After Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Claims Lives in Baja, California

In a health advisory made on Friday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned of a deadly Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) outbreak in people who have recently traveled to Baja California, Mexico.

Since the end of July, five people have been identified with RMSF. All of them had been to Tecate within two weeks of getting sick. Three of the five patients who got the virus died, which shows how bad the sickness is.

The CDC said the sickness can be fatal in just a few days if the medicine doxycycline is not taken immediately. Brown dog ticks spread it. Half of the people who die from RMSF do so in the first eight days after getting sick.

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What is RMSF?

According to the CDC Alert Network, RMSF is a severe, rapidly progressive, and often deadly disease transmitted by biting infected ticks. However, many patients don’t remember getting a tick bite. Doxycycline is the treatment of choice for patients of all ages.

The CDC emphasized prompt treatment and advised physicians to start doxycycline as soon as they suspect RMSF rather than waiting for laboratory results. The CDC stressed that doing this is essential to saving lives. During the first four days of sickness, RMSF symptoms can be minor and nonspecific, such as fever, headache, gastrointestinal issues, abdominal pain, muscle soreness, rash, and swelling around the eyes and back of the hands.

If the infection is not treated, it can spread quickly to cause serious side effects that can harm critical organs like the heart, kidneys, lungs, and nervous system, as well as cause organ failure, breathing difficulties, and coma.

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RMSF Patients

Four of the five patients were under the age of 18, which is very concerning because youngsters are five times more likely than adults to die from the virus. There were two Mexican citizens and three Americans among the patients.

According to the CDC, RMSF frequently occurs in northern Mexico and some areas of the southwestern United States. RMSF is endemic in Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Nuevo Leon, which are located along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The CDC recommends people visiting these areas wear protective clothing, treat dogs for ticks, apply insect repellent, and routinely perform thorough tick checks following outdoor activities or when near.

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