Rocky Mountain fever in L.A.

Eight dogs in L.A. have been reported to have caught the Canine Rocky Mountain disease. This has created an alarming situation in the county.

The Los Angeles County Department of Health confirmed that eight dogs have caught the disease and has alerted all the health departments to remain vigilant.

The department started an extensive search operation after four cases of this infection came into their notice in March ’07. The risk to humans is still not that big and in past also there have not been many cases of this infection. The last human case reported in L.A. County was in the late 1990s.

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) is a zoonotic (disease that is spread from animals to people) disease that may cause clinical signs in both dogs and humans. Hard-bodied ticks are the vectors of RMSF, and there are several species that have been known to be involved in its transmission. The most common vector is Dermacentor variabilis or the American dog tick, i.e. why this disease is also called Tick borne disease.

Jonathan Fielding, Director of the County Department of Public Health said that the state and local officials have been asked to take precautions after the illness sprouted in rural areas in Arizona.

"We have sent out advisories to veterinarians to be on the lookout for it," Fielding said. "The reason we are tracking it carefully is that it can be a risk to people."

Rocky Mountain spotted fever is most closely associated with development of a red rash almost 12 days after the initial tick bite.

In California, there have been about 20 dogs from 12 counties diagnosed with canine Rocky Mountain spotted fever from 2006 to summer 2007.

"I have never seen a case," said Susan Milder, who heads the Chatsworth Veterinary Center. "If we have any patients that come in with any kind of symptoms, such as anemia, fevers or joint pain, we check for tick bites.”

The best way to prevent dogs from contracting RMSF is to limit their exposure to ticks. This includes limiting their access to tick infested areas, particularly between the months of March through October. Dogs also should be inspected closely for ticks on a regular basis; any ticks that are found should be removed quickly and safely.

The application of topical agents for tick control such as fiprinol or permethrin has also been shown to be effective.