Latest news with #Rickettsia
Los Angeles Times
06-08-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
Flea-borne typhus infections are on the rise in SoCal: How to protect yourself and your pets
Pet owners, beware: Flea-borne typhus is on the rise in parts of Southern California. The good news is there are several common-sense ways to protect your pet and yourself from getting infected. A flea becomes infected when it bites rats, opossums and stray cats that are carrying the disease. The disease is caused by Rickettsia typhi bacteria, which can be spread to humans when feces from infected fleas is rubbed into cuts or scrapes on the skin or into the eyes. In the U.S., most cases of flea-borne typhus occur in Texas, California and Hawaii, with an average of about 300 cases each year nationwide, according to the California Department of Public Health. The disease occurs year-round in areas of Los Angeles and Orange counties, but cases tend to peak during late summer and fall months. So far this year, 79 cases of flea-borne typhus — confirmed, probable or suspected — have been reported in Los Angeles County, except for the cities of Long Beach and Pasadena, according to the County Public Health Department. For all of last year, the county had a total of 187, cases and it estimated 124 cases in 2023. The city of Long Beach reported 20 cases as of July 31, a jump from 12 cases during the same period in 2024. On average the city has reported 20 cases each year, and 'if this trend continues, Long Beach is expected to surpass its 2021 record of 28 cases reported in a single year,' according to the city's Department of Health and Human Services. At least 75% of the people with the disease in Long Beach were hospitalized, and all have recovered. In areas were the disease is prevalent, you are most at risk of getting typhus from infected fleas if you touch, pet or come into contact with rats, opossums and stray cats. Even if the disease isn't widespread in your neighborhood, public health experts say you should still stay away from animals that can carry the infected fleas. People who live outdoors or in housing that is infested with rats or other rodents are also at risk of contracting the disease. State and local public health experts provide the following guidance on how to prevent fleas from clinging onto your pet and keeping them out of your home. To keep infected fleas away from pets, keep them indoors and treat them regularly with flea control medicine. Avoid attracting stray cats or rodents that are carrying infected fleas by keeping your trash cans covered at all times. Don't leave trash or your pet food outside as that can entice animals to your home. Don't befriend or feed strays in your neighborhood that could be carriers of the infected fleas. Prevent infected fleas or small animals from getting into or living on your property by clearing overgrown vegetation and clutter. If there are any openings or crawl spaces in your home, seal them. Symptoms of flea-borne typhus include fever, headache, chills, muscle aches and a rash on or around the chest, sides and back. Although rare, swelling can occur in the lining of the brain (meningitis) or in the heart valves (endocarditis), according to the Los Angeles County Public Health Department. Death from the disease is uncommon, but it has occurred in Los Angeles County. In 2022, there were three deaths due to flea-borne typhus, all victims were adults who had other underlying medical conditions. If you have any symptoms of the disease, reach out to your healthcare provider right away for treatment. Flea-borne typhus can be treated with antibiotics.
American Military News
01-07-2025
- Health
- American Military News
Dangerous diseases possible as ticks spread across US, experts warn
Experts are warning of an increased possibility of people contracting dangerous diseases as ticks spread across the United States. Ben Hottel, an entomologist at Orkin, a pest control company, recently told Fox News that ticks are spreading into different regions of the United States due to some traditionally cooler areas of the country experiencing milder winters. Orkin explained that ticks prefer to live in warmer environments. According to Fox News, ticks have been able to remain active longer than usual due to milder winters and higher temperatures and have used hosts to spread outside of traditional locations in the United States. Fox News reported that experts at New York's Binghamton University Tick-borne Disease Center have suggested that tick-borne diseases that were previously only found in certain regions of the United States are now starting to be identified in different parts of the country. Yetrib Hathout, the director of the Binghamton University Tick-borne Disease Center, previously warned, 'Deer ticks are active any time it's over 39 degrees, so we have a lot longer active periods for ticks now, unfortunately.' In addition to milder winters and rising temperatures, Hottel told Fox News that human developments in various wildlife habitats have contributed to the spread of ticks. READ MORE: Outbreak of deadly disease strain confirmed in US 'Another reason for the spread of ticks is the expansion of human developments into wildlife habitats, which helps ticks more easily find human hosts,' Hottel stated. According to Fox News, experts at Ohio State University have warned that the number of concerning tick species has increased from one to five just throughout the past 15 years. Hottel told Fox News that people need to be vigilant during the summer months and use caution with regard to certain ticks, tick bites, and diseases carried by ticks. According to Fox News, experts are warning Americans to check for ticks after spending time outside, use tick repellents, and wear long clothing. 'Awareness is the first step in protecting yourself from tick-borne illness,' Hottel said. 'Some of the pathogens that are only found in the South, like the Rickettsia species that causes spotted fever, are migrating up north,' Hathout warned. 'That's why tick surveillance and tick screening for other things are important. And I think it's important to do it regularly.'
New York Post
27-06-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Ticks are spreading disease to different US regions as experts sound the alarm
Ticks are spreading outside their comfort zone – and into ours, according to experts. As cooler regions experience milder winters, those areas are becoming more hospitable to many tick species, Ben Hottel, an Atlantic-based entomologist with Orkin, the pest control company, told Fox News Digital. This is because ticks prefer warmer climates. While the insects previously would go dormant in the cold — leaving them unable to travel very far — they're now able to stay active longer, clinging to hosts that carry them outside their typical regions. In recent years, experts at Binghamton University Tick-borne Disease Center in New York have reported that tick-borne illnesses – typically confined to specific regions – are beginning to show up in other parts of the country. 'Deer ticks are active any time it's over 39 degrees, so we have a lot longer active periods for ticks now, unfortunately,' Yetrib Hathout, professor of pharmaceutical sciences and director of the tick-born disease center, told Binghamton University previously. 5 As cooler regions experience milder winters, they are becoming more hospitable to tick species. meepoohyaphoto – The number of concerning tick species has risen from one to five in the last 15 years, according to experts at Ohio State University. Given the spread of ticks, Ohio State University's Buckeye Tick Test Lab is now identifying 'the most dangerous ticks that spread diseases.' Hottel of Orkin said it's important for people to stay vigilant as they're frequently outdoors at this time of year. 5 Ohio State University's Buckeye Tick Test Lab is now identifying 'the most dangerous ticks that spread diseases.' Chalabala – He said people need to exercise caution regarding certain species, the bites they can deliver and the disease they can cause. 'Tick surveillance and tick screening are important.' The blacklegged tick (or deer tick) is best known for transmitting Lyme disease, especially in the Northeast, Midwest, and Appalachian regions. While many people are aware of Lyme disease carried by the deer tick, fewer are aware of other dangerous diseases such as alpha-gal syndrome, which is spread by the lone star tick; it can trigger an allergy to red meat. 5 Ticks can be found in the Northeast, Midwest, and Appalachian regions. Mayo Clinic The American dog tick, found mostly east of the Rockies, can spread Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, and even cause tick paralysis. Its cousin, the Rocky Mountain wood tick, poses similar risks in high-elevation areas of the Rockies. 'Some of the pathogens that are only found in the South, like the Rickettsia species that causes spotted fever, are migrating up north,' according to Hathout. 5 'Tick surveillance and tick screening for other things are important. And I think it's important to do it regularly,' Ben Hottel, an entomologist, says. lordn – 'That's why tick surveillance and tick screening for other things are important. And I think it's important to do it regularly.' Hottel told Fox News Digital, 'Awareness is the first step in protecting yourself from tick-borne illness.' Among the precautionary steps to take, say experts: Wear long clothing, use tick repellents and check for ticks after outdoor activity. 5 Wearing long clothing, using tick repellents and checking for ticks after outdoor activity are precautionary steps to take to protect yourself from tick-borne illnesses. Volodymyr Shevchuk – Knowing which species to watch for can also help prevent serious tick-borne illness. 'Another reason for the spread of ticks is the expansion of human developments into wildlife habitats, which helps ticks more easily find human hosts,' said Hottel. Ticks find their hosts by detecting animals' breath and body odors, or by sensing body heat, moisture and vibrations, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). 'Some species can even recognize a shadow,' the CDC site says. In addition, ticks pick a place to wait by identifying well-used paths. Then they wait for a host, resting on the tips of grasses and shrubs. Ticks can't fly or jump — but many tick species wait in this position known as 'questing.'
Daily Mirror
09-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Schoolboy, 12, dies from horrific head lice infestation after fighting for life
Amador Flores Vargas was rushed to hospital after being bitten by the blood-sucking bugs, but he was unable to fight off the severe infection A 12-year-old schoolboy has died after a horrific head lice infection led to septic shock and liver failure. Amador Flores Vargas's family rushed the young lad to hospital after noticing he was severely dehydrated and had a fever that couldn't be brought under control. For two weeks, the boy fought for his life while a typhus-spreading bacterial infection called rickettsiosis ravaged his body. It had been transmitted by blood-sucking lice in his hometown of Sabinas, in the Mexican state of Coahuila. Amador was treated in Coahuila's Mother and Child Hospital, but doctors found he was already suffering from advanced liver failure and septic shock caused by a massive louse infestation. Despite being pumped full of emergency antibiotics, Amador's condition rapidly worsened and he died on June 2, to the horror of his family. Hospital director Francisco Iribarren explained in a press conference that the boy had been infected for at least eight days before he was brought to the clinic. "The young man arrived in very compromised conditions; he had liver alterations, failure in platelet production and an advanced septicaemia," he added. Because of the rarity of the disease, local authorities have imposed a sanitary cordon on the family's neighbourhood to prevent the parasite from spreading, with a pest extermination team searching for further infestations. And epidemiologist Alfredo De León Camacho has recommended that the local population seek immediate medical attention if they present symptoms including persistent fever, rashes or general discomfort, especially if they have recently come in contact with parasites. Rickettsiosis is caused by bacteria from the Rickettsia genus, which can be spread to humans by bites from fleas, ticks, mites or lice. If left untreated, the infection can lead to blood poisoning and become life-threatening or even fatal. Other symptoms of rickettsiosis include headache, swollen lymph nodes, muscle pain, stomach pain, fatigue and nausea and vomiting. While rickettsial diseases occur all around the world, in some areas certain types are more prevalent. In the United States, the most common is rocky mountain spotted fever, which is spread by infected adult ticks. In South Africa, Korea and large cities in Russia, Rickettsialpox is more usual to see - spread by mites that live on mice. Meanwhile, Boutonneuse fever is concentrated in Mediterranean countries like Spain, Italy and Israel, commonly transmitted by ticks carried by dogs and cats. And Murine typhus is prevalent all around the world, especially in cities with high rat infestations. While rickettsial diseases are rare in the UK, they can appear in the population as a result of travelling to a country where the infection is present. Typhus can be transmitted by infected fleas, mites and lice that live on small animals like dogs, cats, rats, mice and squirrels, and can be carried by humans on their skin, hair and clothes. Typhus is mostly found in Asia, South America and parts of Africa, particularly in places where public hygiene is poor, living conditions are typically overcrowded, or there is plenty of grassland or bushes for fleas and lice to hide in. The NHS explains that while there is no vaccine to prevent typhus, travellers can lower their risk of being infected by wearing long-sleeved tops and trousers, using insect repellent containing DEET, washing regularly, and changing clothes frequently when visiting areas with high rates of typhus.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New strain of bacteria in tick discovered at UMass Amherst
AMHERST, Mass. (WWLP) – A lab at the University of Massachusetts Amherst discovered a new strain of bacteria in a tick last week. Researchers found that this has the potential to infect people with Spotted Fever, and now, with the warmer weather and more people outside, officials are sounding the alarm. This finding came from testing in someone's backyard, but now researchers are hoping this was an exception and not the expectation. Western Massachusetts sees record spring temperatures Spotted Fever Rickettsioses is the main danger of bacteria found in this new strain of Rickettsia. The UMass lab working on Project ITCH is a part of the New England Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases. 22News spoke with microbiologist Stephen Rich, who told us how they came upon the discovery. 'As part of that study, we actually tested for a rare set of pathogens that we usually don't see, and we discovered something that's altogether different that we've never seen before,' Rich said. The study tracks how tick control across the U.S. is working in different areas. These samples are collected from across the country and sent here to UMass Amherst, but this new strain was actually collected in New England by the University of Maine. 'In California, that was found in people, so it can get into people and it can be deadly,' Rich said. 'In this case, we saw it in rabbit ticks, which don't feed on people, and so we think we're catching it very early here in the east.' This new genotype of Rickettsia, species ME2023, could infect people with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. The rare disease can be fatal without treatment. While there is no way to stop the spread of this bacteria among ticks, researchers will be keeping an eye on this new data. 'The main thing is that we want to make sure that it's in this rare tick that doesn't feed on people,' Rich said. 'What we want to make sure is that it doesn't spill over into other ticks that do feed on people.' Luckily, there is no current risk to the public, but the CDC says you should wear tick repellent and long sleeves while walking through wooded areas. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
