                               
Early this May health officials in San Diego found ticks in the Sorrento Valley that carried the bacteria that cause “Rabbit Fever†or tularemia, a potentially dangerous bacterial disease. Their discovery prompted officials to urge the public to protect themselves and their pets from ticks when hiking or walking in grassy areas, on trails and in the wild, or if their homes are near to those types of areas.Â
Ticks are small, eight-legged parasites related to spiders. They will crawl out on leaves, vegetation or tree trunks, extend their hooked front legs to latch onto any warm blooded animals or people, then bite and feed on blood.              Vector Control officials said they have been finding increased numbers of ticks this year around the county, although the ones collected in Sorrento Valley were the only ones that have tested positive for any disease
The San Diego County's Vector Control Programs monitor the population of different vectors — like animals, ticks, fleas, rodents and mosquitoes — that can transmit diseases to people.Â
The problem they have is they are underfunded and can’t check the county like they would like. Therefore you don’t know everywhere ticks that carry the Rabbit Fever bacteria are. But you can know what type of area that’s most likely would have ticks.
Lagoon areas like Aqua Hedionda Lagoon with all the tall grass and shrubs and high humidity near the water is a perfect place for ticks to live. So beware, stay in the middle of trails and don’t brush against tall grass and shrubs.
