Seventeen people have died so far this year in Baja California from a disease carried by ticks, according to the state’s health secretary Adrian Medina Amarillas. Eight of the deaths were reported in Tijuana. Rickettsia is transmitted by ticks and can lead to serious illness if it goes untreated. “In a worst-case scenario that bacteria is in a high enough dose that it can cause illness or disease in the person or animal,” said Amy Murillo, Assistant Professor of Entomology at UC Riverside. “1-2 weeks later you might start to show signs of illness. Some of those signs include fever or general tiredness, malaise, or even a rash.” ‘Dermacentor variabilis,’ or ‘American Dog Tick,’ as it’s commonly called, is found all over Southern California, Arizona, and Mexico. MORE: https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/tick-borne-disease-kills-17-people-in-baja-california/509-00d85947-5bcc-49f3-855d-08ebc99045ac