Brown dog ticks carry carry R. rickettsii
the Rickettsia rickettsii bacteria that causes the disease has spread to brown dog ticks across the American Southwest and parts of Mexico.
“We found three genetically distinct populations of ticks, which vary in the percentage of ticks that carry the R. rickettsii bacteria,” said Roe. “These differences are a major contributor to the variation in Rocky Mountain spotted fever cases we see across the region.”
I am not sure how much is news in this but it may be worth knowing for dog owners and residents of the SW.