Ten cases of tick-born illness were confirmed in the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez including eight fatalities, health officials announced.
About two dozen other cases and six fatalities were reported in Chihuahua City this year, the state Health Department added.
The most recent confirmed infection was that of Yahir Rivera, a 4-year-old, who contracted rickettsiosis after being bitten by a tick.
Rivera’s family is desperately looking for blood donors as he remains hospitalized in Ciudad Juarez, just across from El Paso, Texas.
On Tuesday, Chihuahua State Health Department deputy director Gumaro Barrios insisted on the significance of “personal and pet care and home cleaning” to prevent the bugs.
“The person has to pay a lot of attention to hygiene, the permanent inspection to check that there is no ticks are attached,” Barrios warned residents, essentially pet owners.
“With these simple measures we can also reduce the incidence and very importantly if we present symptoms go immediately to our medical facilities.”
