Ticks affected with “Rabbit fever” have been found in Sorrento Valley.

SAN DIEGO–Several ticks collected in routine trapping from Lopez Canyon trail in Sorrento Valley have tested positive for tularemia, a potentially dangerous bacterial disease also known as “rabbit fever.”

Officials from the County’s Vector Control program urged people to protect themselves and their pets from ticks when hiking or walking in grassy, backcountry areas, on trails and in the wild. The best way to start, officials said, is by wearing insect repellent, proper clothing, and to use insect control products that kills fleas and ticks on pets.

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 County’s Vector Control Program monitors the population of vectors — animals like ticks, fleas, rodents and mosquitoes — that can transmit diseases to people.

Ticks are tiny, eight-legged parasites related to spiders. They crawl out on leaves and vegetation and extend their hooked front legs to latch onto passing animals and people, then bite and feed on blood. Even though tick diseases are rare in San Diego County, they have also been known to carry other diseases including Lyme disease and spotted fever illnesses.  Tularemia can be successfully treated with antibiotics, but can be dangerous and even fatal.

County public health officials said anyone who is bitten by a tick should not panic, but carefully remove it. They said if a person develops a rash or fever within several weeks of being bitten they should see a doctor, tell them about the tick bite, when they were bitten and where they think it happened.

Here are seven easy tips to help you protect yourself, your family and pets from ticks:

  1. Wear Insect Repellent:
  2. First thing, if you’re heading outside, wear insect repellent — the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend using repellents approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): one that contains DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, or 2-undecanone.
  3. Stay On Designated Pathways:
  4. If you’re hiking or walking in open space or canyon areas, stay on designated pathways. Choose wide trails and walk in the center. Remember, ticks “quest” for people and pets by crawling on leaves of grass or brush, waiting to latch on to passers-by.
  5. Avoid Grass and Brush; Don’t Handle Rodents:
  6. Try to stay out of grassy or brushy areas. And do not handle wild rodents. Yes, squirrels are cute! But they can come with their own menagerie of critters. Ticks, for one. Fleas that can carry plague for another.
  7. Frequently Check Your Clothing, Body and Companions for Ticks:
  8. Check yourself and your companions to make sure ticks haven’t hitched a ride. Dress for success. Ticks are small. Wear light clothing so they’re easier to spot. Tuck shirts into pants and pants into socks to keep ticks away from skin.
  9. Leave Pets at Home or Keep Them Leashed:
  10. Ticks love pets. Leaving them at home solves the problem. But if you can’t, keep them leashed and on the trail. If your pets haven’t already been treated with a tick and flea regimen, use insecticide powders or sprays labeled for tick control.
  11. When You Get Home, Check Clothes, Gear and Pets:
  12. Before you head back inside, double-check your clothes, gear and pets for ticks. Ticks can hitchhike into your home on clothes and pets — and bite you later.
  13. If a Tick Bites You or Your Pet, Don’t Panic:
  14. Just carefully and immediately remove it. Ticks burrow partway into the skin to feed. The CDC recommends removing ticks by grabbing them with tweezers as close to the tick’s head as possible and pulling out steadily and firmly.

For more information about ticks go to the County of San Diego Department of Environmental Health’s Tick Web page, and the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Tick Web page.