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Toddler Dies After Tick Bites While Playing With Dog

A two-year-old girl has died after being bitten by ticks believed to have been living on her family's dog.

The little girl, who lived in the city of Torreón, Mexico, was hospitalized at the local University Children's Hospital after she began experiencing a fever and other symptoms, Mexican news outlet Net Noticias reported.

The girl passed away two days later, and was found by doctors to have been suffering from rickettsiosis, caused by bacteria spread via tick bites.

She likely got bitten by ticks while playing with the dog, authorities said.

A stock image shows a tick on a person's finger, with a dog in the background. A two-year-old Mexican girl has died after being infected with tick-borne rickettsiosis. ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

The Coahuila Ministry of Health has initiated the fumigation of homes and de-worming of pet dogs and cats in the five blocks surrounding the girl's home, lado.Mx reported.

Rickettsiosis is a rare class of bacterial infection caused by a number of bacterial species, including Rickettsia parkeri, which causes Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis, and Rickettsia rickettsii, which is the causative agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF). Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis is sometimes known as "American tick bite fever" or "American boutonneuse fever."

These bacteria can lead to severe illness in humans, with the symptoms of both Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis and RMSF including fever, headache, a rash and aching muscles, the CDC explains. The two infections can be hard to tell apart because of their similar symptoms, but Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis often causes eschars (collections of dry, dead tissue within a wound) to form at the bite site, while RMSF does not.

At stock image shows a toddler's legs near a tick. ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

RMSF appears to be deadlier than Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis, and can be rapidly fatal if not treated early. Patients can be treated with antibiotics, but without antibiotics, fatality rates range from 20 to 80 percent.

RMSF is often transmitted by the American dog tick, the Rocky Mountain wood tick in the Rocky Mountain states, and the brown dog tick in the Southwestern United States, along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Ticks will cut into the skin of animals and humans, spreading their saliva as they insert their feeding tube to suck out blood, which can also transmit bacteria and other microbes into the bloodstream.

A stock image shows a tick on an animal. ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

They also carry infections like Bourbon virus, babesiosis, Powassan virus disease and Lyme disease.

To minimize contact with ticks, the CDC advises avoiding areas with long grasses, using a tick repellent and wearing light-colored, long clothing that covers the arms and legs.

"Recreational, occupational and residential habits make it difficult to avoid tick exposure for most people living in endemic areas," Peter Krause, a senior research scientist in epidemiology at Yale School of Public Health and Yale School of Medicine, previously told Newsweek. "Ticks are often present in grassy areas and in leaf litter on personal property and can attach during even brief exposure. Use of repellents is very helpful in preventing tick bites."

A stock image shows a sign warning of ticks. To minimize contact with ticks, the CDC advises avoiding areas with long grasses, using a tick repellent and wearing clothing that covers the arms and legs. ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

Pets should also be examined after coming in from outdoors, and if possible, walked away from longer grasses.

"Tick checks under bright lighting should be performed at the end of each day of exposure," Krause said. "Use of a washcloth or tweezers with special attention to armpit, groin, back and scalp areas may dislodge attached and unattached ticks."

If you find a tick on yourself or a pet, it should be removed as soon as possible.

"A tick should be removed with an ordinary pair of thin-tipped tweezers or forceps," Krause added. "The tick should be grasped by the mouth end and gently pulled straight upward."

Do you have a science story to share with Newsweek? Do you have a question about tick-bourne infections? Let us know via science@newsweek.Com.

Why Summer Is The Season For Dog Bites

Ah, summer: The season of picnics, days at the beach and outdoor parties with friends.

But summer is also the season of dog bites. Of the 4,611 dog bites reported in 2013, more than half occurred in the summer months, with a spike in August, according to the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

What is it about the season that makes dogs want to snap?

"Dogs are being potentially put in more social-gathering situations where they aren't super comfortable," says Sarah Fraser, co-founder of Instinct Dog Training. As we all head outdoors to catch some sun, things get cramped, and — like humans — dogs can be irritable in the heat and grumpy when another New Yorker gets in their space.

"Every dog will use its teeth if they feel they need to," says Anthony Newman, who runs Calm Energy Dog Training.

So what to do if your pup does bite someone? And what are the legal consequences?

"The law is in [the owner's] favor if the dog bites somebody," says Dylan Brennan, a partner at the law firm of Cellino & Barnes who represents clients in dog-bite accidents. In New York, owners are only liable for injuries caused by their dog if they already knew the dog was dangerous. The victim has to prove the dog had a history of vicious behavior like lunging or biting.

If your pup has a clean record, you're in the clear. But if it has a history of biting or other vicious behavior that you knew about, you can be liable, and your dog could be muzzled, confined or, if the damage is severe, even put down. This is why personal injury lawyer Scott C. Gottlieb says the best thing to do if your dog bites someone is to keep quiet.

"You try to make peace, you apologize to the person who got bit, but you don't make any admissions." He recommends dog owners get either renter's insurance or homeowner's insurance that covers dog bites.

While Gottlieb says he doesn't see doggy death sentences often, nobody wants to take that chance. Here are some ways to prevent your canine companion from snapping in the summertime:

Learn to read the signs: Indicators of a grumpy dog are pinned-back ears, tight lips, a tucked tail, stiff body and heavy panting. "These are usually good signals that your dog is pretty uncomfortable, and you should just create some space for them," says Fraser. Pups should never be left alone on sidewalks without their humans "because you can't be there to look out for them if someone approaches them and they get uncomfortable," she says.

Provide plenty of exercise and socialization: "The two biggest ways of fending off any behavior problems, and definitely aggression are exercise and socializing," says Newman. "That pretty much means hitting the dog park… running off leash, wrestling with other dogs, jumping, sprinting, chasing the ball."

Avoid summer stress: Going to a beach party or a picnic? Make sure your pup gets a break from the action. "Just like with people, the longer parties go on, it can be more stressful for the dog," Fraser says. Owners should avoid walking their dog during the hottest part of the day.

Get professional trainers: They'll identify triggers and help the dog become more comfortable with new people and other dogs. "Prevention is always way easier than trying to fix it way down the road," Fraser says.

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