Heads-Up: Infected Ticks Around Los Penasquitos Canyon

With the bacterium that causes tularemia. Straight from SD County: "Symptoms in humans include lymph node swelling, headache and fever. Other symptoms include a skin ulcer at the site of the bite, fatigue, body aches and nausea."


Bad. Not good. Get seen, even if you're not aware that's from a tick.

Does this mean every tick carries the bacteria? No, but it does mean that, as always, if you pull a tick off of yourself, you should be vigilant for any illness that follows. It's not unusual to find this bug in CA although it's usually further north; it's commonly found in rabbits and in fact is named after Tulare County, where it was first discovered. But the point is a) you don't want it, so if you get a tick bite or these symptoms even without one, see a doctor, and b) the good news, it's very treatable with antibiotics.