While tick bites can result in itchiness and discomfort, their effects could be more crucial, especially for the types carrying certain bacteria. This was the case in Mexico, where a two-year-old died from a bacterial infection she got from ticks.
Ticks Cause Toddler's Death
According to Newsweek, the incident happened in Torreón, Mexico, where an innocent little girl was simply playing with her dog. Lo and behold, a few days later, she was brought to the local hospital, where she died due to a bacterial infection coming from ticks.
The toddler was brought to the local University Children's Hospital for experiencing fever and different symptoms. Just two days later, she was found dead, with doctors deducting that the cause was because of a bacterial infection originating from ticks.
In response to the incident, the Coahuila Ministry of Health has initiated a plan to deal with the spread of the bacterial infection coming from ticks. The plan was to be applied to the five blocks that surrounded the girl's home and would involve fumigating homes while de-worming pets, specifically dogs and cats.
Rickettsiosis Explained
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains rickettsiosis as coming from Gulf Coast ticks and can take 2-10 days to incubate. The signs and symptoms of this bacterial infection include muscle aches, fever, headaches, and rash.
Newsweek reports that rickettsiosis comes from bacteria that ticks spread when they bite. The authorities deduct that the likely cause of her acquiring the bacterial infection was being bitten by ticks while playing with the dog.
Rickettsiosis is a form of bacterial infection and categorized as a "rare class" which is caused by different bacterial species. Other loose terms for Rickettsia perkeri-caused rickettsiosis include "American boutonneuse fever" or more commonly known as the "American tick bite fever."
Another variation of this fever, the Rickettsia rickettsii is also commonly referred to as the "Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever," according to John Hopkins Medicine.
Risks of the Bacterial Infection
The risk of rickettsiosis and RMSF is that it can lead to humans falling into a severe illness, with it being hard to differentiate their differences. The main difference is that RMSF doesn't cause any dry dead tissue to collect within the wound, unlike Rickettsia parkeri, which causes eschars.
The deadlier form of rickettsiosis is considered RMSF, which can rapidly become fatal if not properly treated. Although antibiotics can do the trick, without them, the fatality of this infection is estimated to be around 20 to 80%.
A big distinction between the two is that RMSF transmission often happen by the American dog tick. RMSF, as its name suggests, comes from brown dog ticks located along the US-Mexico border around the Southwestern United States.
For context, ticks operate by cutting a hole into the skin of another being which is oftentimes an animal but sometimes a human. They then spread their saliva while inserting a feeding tube to suck blood from their host.
The act of feeding can result in bacteria and other microbes transmitted from the ticks into the bloodstream.
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