mtgoat666
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Rocky mt spotted fever outbreak in north baja
(CNN
—
An outbreak of the tickborne disease Rocky Mountain spotted fever has caused at least five illnesses, including three deaths, in the US since July,
the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Friday.
The five cases were identified in Southern California and involved people who had traveled to Tecate, Baja California, in the previous two weeks. Four
were under age 18, and three were US residents, the agency said in a health alert. All five were hospitalized, and three died.
The CDC is warning health care providers that if a patient has symptoms of Rocky Mountain spotted fever and has recently traveled to northern Mexico,
they should consider starting treatment with the antibiotic doxycycline right away, rather than waiting for test results to confirm the condition.
“RMSF is a severe, rapidly progressive, and often deadly disease transmitted by the bite of infected ticks, although many patients do not recall
being bitten by a tick,” the agency notes. It’s endemic in northern Mexico and in parts of the southwestern US, where it can be transmitted by
brown dog ticks. It does not spread from person to person.
Signs of infection can be mild in the first few days, including a low fever, headache, stomach problems, abdominal pain, rash and swelling around the
eyes and on the back of the hands. On or after about five days, someone may develop changes in mental state, coma, brain swelling, respiratory
problems and multiorgan damage. It’s fatal in 5% to 10% of cases, with about half of those deaths happening within eight days of the onset of
illness.
Anyone who’s traveled to northern Mexico and develops symptoms of Rocky Mountain spotted fever within two weeks of their return to the US should get
medical attention right away, the CDC says. Protect against tick bites by treating pet dogs, using insect repellent and wearing protective clothing
when outdoors. Check yourself and children for ticks after spending time outdoors or around dogs, and immediately remove any ticks you find
Also
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/level1/rmsf-mexico
https://www.elsoldetijuana.com.mx/local/detectan-nuevas-zona...
[Edited on 12-9-2023 by mtgoat666]
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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AKgringo
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They may be called "dog ticks", but they are opportunistic and will feed on just about any animal they can hitch a ride on. I have even found ticks
on snakes and lizards, although I have no idea what species they were.
You are exposed to ticks when you pass through vegetation that whatever host animal with ticks passed through. A well-fed tick drops off of the host
and produces the next generation, which climbs up whatever grass or weeds are there and waits to grab on to the next critter to pass that way.
Not science, but my personal experience is that they are at the worst after the first shower following a dry period. I pulled three off of my dog
yesterday (two different species).
Yes, you can acquire ticks directly from your pets, but that is not the only way they can get to you.
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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surabi
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Some summers are really bad for ticks where I live in the PV area. My since passed away dog used to be loaded with them some years- I could pull off
30 a day. I have no idea what kind of ticks they were.
Here's a tip for dog owners. Ticks hate tea tree oil. So I used to put some water and some tea tree oil in a spray bottle and spray my dog down with
it, and also add the oil to my dog shampoo, which helped a lot.
Make sure to check your dog 's ears and between their toes- ticks love to wedge themselves into all the little ear folds and articulations. And since
it's really hard to remove them from the ears, dip a q-tip in tea tree oil and use it to get in there and swab them out. I don't know if the oil
killed the ticks, or just stunned them, but they would instantly let go and be on the end of the q-tip, unmoving.
And never squish a swollen tick- you can be releasing hundreds of eggs. Just have a little bowl or saucer with some rubbing alcohol to drop them into,
which will kill them.
[Edited on 12-9-2023 by surabi]
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bajaric
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Ticks are disgusting.
Here is a link to a Washington post article. 2000 cases of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in Northern Baja in the past five years. Sadly, three
children deceased in Ejido Padre Kino, near San Quintin.
https://news.yahoo.com/deadly-tick-borne-epidemic-raging-171...
One of the points the article makes is that RMSF was apparently not known to be carried by dog ticks until it started appearing on an Indian
Reservation in Arizona in 2003. Before then it was only known to be carried by a different kind of tick that lived in the forest.
Recently someone noted that some motels are no longer allowing dogs; there may be a link.
Ric
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pacificobob
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In the mid 70s in central America, after back packing several days in the jungle
Wearing shorts,(should have known better) my best pal from our time in Viet Nam spent several evenings around the camp fire picking ticks out of each
others most private areas with a flashlight.
Damn.
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StuckSucks
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Washington Post: CDC issues health alert for deadly tick-borne disease
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Don Pisto
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sounds like the key is to get on antibiotics soon as possible, CDC is saying fatal in 5-10 percent of cases here yet in the u.s. .........
"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."
get on those antibiotics if you think you may have it neighbors!
there's only two things in life but I forget what they are........
John Hiatt
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surabi
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If you are walking around in areas where there could be ticks, and it's too hot out for socks and boots and long pants, i.e. all covered up, if you
apply vaseline to any exposed skin, the ticks can't latch on. I prefer that to covering myself with insecticide.
[Edited on 12-10-2023 by surabi]
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AKgringo
Elite Nomad
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I am fortunate that in all my trips to Baja with two different dogs, I have not had to deal with ticks on them or myself. I have not spent much time
near the border though.
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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lencho
Junior Nomad
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Location: Tan lejos de Dios y tan cerca de EU
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I've had a fair amount of experience with ticks and for anyone who has to remove them, I highly recommend Tick Twisters. They allow you to twist them out without squeezing the body, and greatly reduce the chance of breaking the head off in
the flesh.
I was amazed when I first tried them out. 
"I can normally tell how intelligent a man is, by how stupid he thinks I
am."
"...they were careful of their demeanor that they not be thought to have opinions on what they heard for like most men skilled at their work they
were scornful of any least suggestion of knowing anything not learned at first hand."
Cormac McCarthy, All the Pretty Horses
"Be kind, be patient, help others." -- Isabel Allende
"My gas stove identifies as electric." Anonymous
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