The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a warning that an outbreak of a deadly tick-borne disease is occurring among people who’ve recently been to Baja California in Mexico.
According to the agency, three out of five patients have died from infection with Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF).
All five patients had reportedly traveled to the Baja city of Tecate within two weeks of their illness.
“If RMSF is suspected, initiate treatment with doxycycline immediately. Do not delay treatment pending laboratory confirmation. Early treatment saves lives,” the CDC said.
RMSF can be fatal within days unless an infected person is treated early with the antibiotic doxycycline, the CDC also noted.
Symptoms can be mild during the first four days of illness, and can include fever, headache, GI problems, abdominal pain, muscle pain, rash and swelling around the eyes and the back of the hands, but if left untreated, infection can quickly progress to brain damage, organ failure, breathing problems and coma.
The CDC emphasized that RMSF regularly occurs across northern Mexico and parts of the southwestern United States.
