SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — The number of rickettsia-related deaths in the state of Baja California is up to 31 so far this year, according health officials.
Twenty of those cases have been in the city of Tijuana.
“Throughout the state, we are confirming numerous positive cases,” said José Adrián Medina Amarillas, Baja’s Health Secretary. “As of now, we have been able to protect many, but unfortunately this is an illness with a short lifespan and we couldn’t save everyone.”
Medina Amarillas made those comments during a news conference Thursday. He also said it is vital for people who are bitten by certain pests to be treated within the first five days.
“These symptoms can be confused with other viral illnesses, doctors who see someone might miss it as being something else,” he said.
According to several health publications, rickettsia is transmitted to humans through the bites of infected arthropods, such as ticks, fleas, and lice, and is characterized by a range of symptoms, which can vary depending on the specific type of rickettsial infection but often include fever, headache, rash, and muscle aches.
“We are very worried, especially on the east side of Tijuana where neighborhoods lack many services and there’s trash issues,” Medina Amarillas said. “There are many places with old furniture strewn about outside and in patios where stray dogs hang out, this is a big problem.”
Baja’s health secretary is also asking people to bathe their dogs thoroughly especially if their pets have gone outside and might’ve had contact with stray dogs.
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