CDC issues travel advisory for Mexico citing ‘Rocky Mountain spotted fever’

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) provided A travel advisory for Mexico Friday, citing “reports” of Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

“There have been reports of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) in people traveling to the United States from Tecate, in the state of Baja California, Mexico,” the CDC said in its advisory.

The CDC said the disease has been found in “urban areas” in some states in northern Mexico, such as Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila and Nuevo Leon, but is “not exclusive” to them. The agency noted that “ticks transmit the bacteria” that causes Rocky Mountain spotted fever and that dogs can carry those ticks, but the disease is not spread from person to person.

People can protect themselves from the disease by using insect repellent, checking one’s body and clothing for ticks, using tick-repellent when traveling with dogs, and “getting medical attention if you or a family member has traveled to Tecate,” the agency said. . Another city in northern Mexico developed symptoms during travel or within 2 weeks of returning to the United States.

According to the CDC, the disease has symptoms such as fever, headache and rash. “After the onset of symptoms, a rash appears two to four days later, however, some patients do not develop a rash,” the agency said.

“The disease can progress rapidly and be fatal if not treated early with recommended antibiotics,” the CDC said. “Children under 10 years of age are five times more likely to die from RMSF than adults.”