Dangerous tick season has begun in the US: their bites can lead to organ failure and death

Tick ​​season has begun in the US, and doctors are warning residents to pay special attention to certain types of bites. Wish TV.

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This type of tick is unlike any other. When it attaches to human skin, it releases a dangerous bacterium that can lead to organ failure and even death.

It's called the Rocky Mountain wood tick or brown dog tick, and its bite can lead to Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF).

Kate Hill, a professor and entomologist at Purdue University, explained what people in the country need to know about the disease.

“You need to catch the infection and treat it early,” Hill said. “In fact, this is a very serious disease if it is not detected and treated with antibiotics. The earliest signs include headache, fever, nausea and vomiting. In many cases, people who become infected with this bacteria develop a rash within a few days.”

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According to her estimates, for example, in Indiana, between 30 and 80 cases are recorded annually. Studies show that in the event of a bite, a person has approximately five days to receive treatment before organ failure occurs.

Hill goes on to say that it's important to take proper precautions when entering trails and grassy areas. She says tick spray, light-colored clothing and checking for ticks after returning home are key.

Geography and seasonal distribution

In the United States, 600-650 cases of infection are recorded annually. The disease is now recognized to be widespread throughout the continental United States, with outbreaks occurring in northern Canada and as far south as Central America and parts of South America. From 1981 to 1996 the disease has been reported in every US state except Hawaii, Vermont, Maine, and Alaska.

Five states (Arkansas, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia) account for more than 50% of RMSF cases.

In Arizona, cases of RMSF have recently been identified in an area where the disease has not previously been observed. From 2003 to 2019, almost 470 cases were reported with a fatality rate of about 5%.

The tick responsible for the transmission of R. rickettsii in Arizona is found on dogs and in and around people's homes. Almost all of these cases occurred in communities with large numbers of free-roaming dogs.

Although SFR cases can occur during any month of the year, the majority of cases were reported in May-August. This period coincides with the season when adult Dermacentor mites are most active.

In Arizona, most cases of SFR are spread by the brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato) and cases occur year-round with peak months of onset from April to October.

Over the past two decades, the number of SFR cases has increased from 495 cases in 2000 to a peak of 6248 in 2017. CDC. However, there were slightly fewer cases reported in 2018 and 2019.

Because of the inability to differentiate between types of spotted fever using publicly available serological tests, it is unclear how many of these cases are RMSF and how many are the result of other, less severe spotted fevers.
The number of SFR cases reported to the CDC per year has generally increased over time, with a distinct increase since the mid-1990s.

Notably, while the number of infections has increased, the mortality rate (the proportion of SFR patients who die as a result of infection) has declined since the 1940s when tetracycline antibiotics became available.

The current SFR mortality rate using surveillance data is still approximately 0,5% of cases.
In clinical reviews of RMSF cases, about 5-10% of cases are fatal.

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The inclusion of less severe spotted fevers such as R. parkeri rickettsiosis likely results in the lower mortality seen in recent decades.

People at Risk

• SFR cases are more common in men than in women.
• People over 40 account for the largest number of reported cases, but children under 10 years of age represent the largest number of reported deaths.
• Individuals with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency.
• Surveillance data show a higher risk of hospitalization in people with weakened immune systems (for example, as a result of cancer treatment, advanced HIV infection, previous organ transplant, or certain drugs).

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