Woman dies of spotted fever at ABC; Ticks were found on the victim's dogs

In a statement, municipal management reported that the victim, a resident of the Alvarenga neighborhood, did not seek medical attention and that the cause of death was only identified after death. The woman's identity was not released.

After confirming the cause of death, the Department of Epidemiological Surveillance, in joint action with the Division of Veterinary and Zoonosis Control (CCZ), carried out searches for contaminated ticks near the likely site of infection and applied pesticides to combat the vector.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever is an infectious disease of varying severity. The main symptoms are fever, severe headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and persistent muscle pain. The disease is caused by bacteria of the genus Rickettsia, transmitted by tick bites.

The Health Secretary of São Bernardo do Campo, infectologist Jean Gorinchteyn, stated that health agents did not find large rodents that could serve as reservoirs for ticks in the vicinity of the victim's house. However, two of the woman's dogs had ticks. After analysis, it was found that the parasites were infected by the bacteria Rickettsia rickettsii.

"As these dogs spent the whole day loose on the street, they could come into contact with other dogs, also loose, that came from other regions or entered the forest area. But, at first, no large animal was identified as a reservoir for new ticks to justify this," said Gorinchteyn.

According to the secretary, neighbors were advised to check their pets for ticks and to use products to control ticks and fleas.

The city of São Bernardo do Campo also advised residents to take extra care with the movement of domestic animals, as contamination can occur when they frequent forested areas and come into contact with infected ticks.

Municipal management also recommends that, if a person is bitten by a tick, observe the appearance of symptoms such as a high fever with a sudden onset and intense pain. If they appear, the advice is to seek medical attention immediately.

Data from the Spotted Fever Panel, from the Ministry of Health, show that Brazil registered 3,052 notifications of suspected cases of the disease between January 1st and May 21st. During the period, 112 cases were confirmed and 19 deaths were recorded.

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