CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) - A California woman has taken to Facebook with a painful warning for anyone heading to pumpkin patches this fall after getting a nasty bacterial infection.
In the post Jennifer Velasquez said she contracted Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) after wearing flip-flops and shorts to a pumpkin patch.
Velasquez went on to include that she's not telling people to cancel the family trip to the pumpkin patch saying, "No, I'm not saying don't go to a pumpkin patch. Just be sure to cover up when you go, and do a tick check when you get home."
According to the Mayor Clinic RMSF, "...is a bacterial infection transmitted by a tick. Without prompt treatment, Rocky Mountain spotted fever can cause serious damage to internal organs, such as your kidneys and heart."
Symptoms:
- High fever
- Chills
- Severe headache
- Muscle aches
- Nausea and vomiting
- Confusion or other neurological changes
Protections:
- wear long pants and sleeves when out in tall grasses, fields and trees
- insect repellents with DEET which can repel ticks
- check for ticks as soon as your finished in the pumpkin patch
- Remove a tick with tweezers. Gently grasp the tick near its head or mouth. Don't squeeze or crush the tick, but pull carefully and steadily
- Wash area with rubbing alcohol or soap and water
Here's some more information about ticks and diseases in the state of Florida.
