Five patients have been diagnosed with confirmed RMSF since late July 2023, all of whom had traveled to or resided in Tecate within two weeks of illness onset.
The CDC has issued a travel advisory and a health alert regarding the risk of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in the Baja California region of Mexico and Tecate, Mexico.
The outbreak has resulted in the hospitalization of at least five patients in Southern California, who had either visited or resided in a Mexican border city.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a travel advisory and a health alert regarding the risk of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) in the Baja California region of Mexico and Tecate, Mexico. The advisory was issued following the death of a person from San Diego who contracted the disease after traveling to Baja California. The CDC has received reports of RMSF in travelers returning to the U.S. from Baja California, although the exact number of affected individuals remains unclear.
RMSF is a severe and often fatal disease transmitted by infected ticks. Since late July 2023, five patients have been diagnosed with confirmed RMSF, all of whom had traveled to or resided in Tecate within two weeks of illness onset. The outbreak has also resulted in the hospitalization of at least five patients in Southern California, who had either visited or resided in a Mexican border city.
Despite the advisory, the CDC has not recommended avoiding travel to Mexico or reconsidering travel plans to the area. However, healthcare providers are advised to consider RMSF in patients with recent travel to Tecate or other areas of northern Mexico and to initiate doxycycline treatment based on clinical and epidemiologic findings. The CDC is also urging physicians in towns and cities close to the US-Mexico border to be vigilant, especially during the holiday season when many residents of Southern California and northern Mexico may be visiting family and friends.
Five patients have been diagnosed with confirmed RMSF since late July 2023, all of whom had traveled to or resided in Tecate within 2 weeks of illness onset.
Healthcare providers are advised to consider RMSF in patients with recent travel to Tecate or other areas of northern Mexico and to initiate doxycycline treatment based on clinical and epidemiologic findings.
The outbreak has hospitalized at least five patients in Southern California, with the patients having either visited or resided in a Mexican border city.
The CDC is urging physicians in towns and cities close to the US-Mexico border to be vigilant, especially during the holiday season when many residents of Southern California and northern Mexico may be visiting family and friends.
The advisory comes after a person from San Diego died from the disease after traveling to Baja California.
The CDC has received reports of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in travelers to the U.S. from Baja California, but it is unclear how many people have been affected.
The travel notice does not recommend avoiding travel to Mexico or reconsidering travel plans to the area.
