Rickettsioses and other Tick-borne Diseases across the Border: Regional Focus in Chihuahua

Abstract

Rocky Mountain spotted fever is of public importance from clinical and veterinary perspectives. During the last decade, cases have increased throughout Mexico, along with other tick-borne diseases. The number of cases reported has increased in northern states of the country that border the United States of America. Studies to understand the current state of affairs with the tick vector and identification of etiological agents also have increased. From the six border states, two in the northwest and central region are of special interest because of the close proximity of the populations from both regions -- Baja California (Tijuana-San Diego and Mexicali- Calexico) and Chihuahua (Ciudad Juárez-El Paso). However, not much information is available on the current situation of Rocky Mountain spotted fever and other rickettsiosis in the State of Chihuahua. Because of increased clinical cases reported, where Chihuahua was the State with the second most number of cases nationwide in 2020, the purpose of this study was to identify methods of detection and vector collection strategies in the region.