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ALFREDO AZCARATE VARELA
THE BAJA POST/EDITOR
The cold winter season is not reason to stop cautionary measures to prevent Ricketts, so the Tijuana Health Services Jurisdiction (JSST) form the State Health Department advice is to keep up the prevention and hygiene measures in Baja California homes.in order to avoid tick bites which are the main transmitter of this deadly disease.
Ricketts, also known as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, is a serious and hazardous disease which killed around 40 people in Baja California in 2024, it is transmitted by the bite of ticks which are hosted in dogs and cats, be them stray or household pets.
The JSST Director, José Abel Delgado, explained that there is a general belief that Ricketts is an exclusive Summer season health hazard, but there can also be contagion in the cold Winter season, so he recommends not to be over confident and keep up prevention measures.
The risk of tick bites and contracting Ricketts in Winter season is not rare, people take pets, such as dogs and cats, into the house, aiming to protect them from Winter cold temperatures, but the risk that they may have ticks remains constant, Ricketts transmitter.
For this reason, Delgado recommends keeping dogs or cats dewormed, treated against fleas and ticks, if possible, keep them outside the house, but be sure that they are protected against the cold winter weather.
House patios should be free of garbage, pots and water stagnation, fumigate the house and patios every two months, because the tick that causes Ricketts can be hidden under the ground, in cracks in the walls, floors and leather, wood and articles. fabric, such as furniture or accumulated clothing.
In winter, ticks nest and hide, in the hot season they usually come out to breed, but with low temperatures there is also a risk of Ricketts, especially if pets are allowed to enter homes, so people must be extra careful in this sense. If there are symptoms of the disease, it is recommended to immediately consult a physician in the nearest health center, where people can be diagnosed and treated, especially if they suspect Ricketts, due to a tick bite and being in contact with pets.
