Our staff will be hitting the road this week, along with local and federal public health partners, to provide in-person refresher education to healthcare providers about Rocky Mountain spotted fever. These presentations include an overview of the history and epidemiology of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in Arizona, clinical presentation, recommendations for diagnosis and treatment, and current prevention efforts from the One Health perspective. The main goal of the presentations is to decrease the number of Rocky Mountain spotted fever illnesses in Arizona by providing healthcare providers with tools to recognize and appropriately treat cases. In addition, we hope to encourage communication with public health and environmental health agencies in high-risk situations.
ADHS and the Intertribal Council of Arizona (ITCA) will also host the Rocky Mountain spotted fever and mosquito-borne disease statewide meeting during the first week of February in Phoenix. The two-day meeting brings together federal, state, local, and tribal partners to discuss new Rocky Mountain spotted fever activities and promote effective and sustainable prevention programs. Last year, a similar meeting was held and attended by 85 participants. The meeting presentations and minutes from 2015 can be found here.
Day one will include presentations from ADHS, CDC, and ITCA. Some key talks include a Rocky Mountain spotted fever surveillance project among dogs in the Arizona-Sonora Border Region, a historical view of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in Arizona, and an economic analysis of Rocky Mountain spotted fever prevention. Day two is dedicated to collaborative planning among tribal partners and will include facilitated discussions on community education, tick prevention campaigns, and public health investigations.
