The city of Tijuana has the largest number of deaths from rickettsia, a tick-borne disease, in Baja California so far.
According to official figures from the Ministry of Health in the state, this year there have been 17 deaths caused by the bite of the brown tick.
"The eastern zone of Tijuana is the target point and that is where, we have since last year, a permanent campaign that obviously intensifies during the summer because we know that it is when there is more risk of this disease occurring," said Adrián Medina, secretary of health in Baja California.
Eight of the deaths were recorded in Mexicali and one more in Vicente Guerrero.
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To date, there are 33 positive cases of rickettsiosis, of which 12 cases belong to the Jurisdiction of Mexicali, 16 to the Tijuana Jurisdiction that includes Tecate and Playas de Rosarito, and 5 to the Jurisdiction of Vicente Guerrero. 156 cases have already been ruled out, according to authorities.
Risk factors such as lack of paving, accumulation of old furniture or garbage in homes and lack of hygiene in pets, are recurrent in neighborhoods in the east of Tijuana.
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Stray dogs are regular guests for ticks. Fumigation inside and outside the house is essential, as well as deworming and taking care of the hygiene of pets.
"Unfortunately, rickettsia is more common, it usually occurs in areas of greater vulnerability, which live in overcrowded conditions where there is no pavement," said the health secretary. So, there are those who seek to protect their pets, especially in this time of greater proliferation of brown ticks.
"Personally I have two dogs but I do not let them go out. There are many dogs that are not from the neighborhood that come from other neighborhoods and remain on the streets and carry the diseases of what you mention. My dogs are small breeds but I keep them inside," said Sergio Hernández, a resident of Tijuana.
In Baja California, more than 28,000 homes have been sprayed to prevent the spread and more than 13,000 pets have been dewormed against ticks.
This story was originally reported by NBC 7's sister station, Telemundo 20. To read the article, click here.
