A potentially deadly disease spread by ticks recently sickened five people who had traveled to or lived in Baja California, Mexico, and three of those patients have died, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned.
The disease, called Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), is caused by the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii and spreads to humans through tick bites. If left untreated, the infection can rapidly progress and lead to serious complications, including nerve and organ damage, partial paralysis, loss of bladder or bowel control, and gangrene, which may require amputation.
