Graduate students in NDSU’s master’s program in infectious disease management and biosecurity spent June working to prevent the spread of Rocky Mountain spotted fever across the San Carlos Apache Reservation in Arizona.

The students are collaborating with scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases and Office of Infectious Diseases to reduce the number of infections in humans by controlling pet health.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a tick-borne disease that in humans causes fever, headache, aches and pains, stomach pain, red spots, red bumps or a rash that may appear on the hands and feet. At least 200 cases and 16 deaths from the disease have occurred in eastern Arizona since 2003.

In this new collaboration, NDSU students will focus on controlling brown ticks on dogs and around the home and controlling the populations of unwanted or stray dogs on the reservation. Prevention measures will include free spay/neuter surgeries, free collars and dog licenses, free tick collars and free pest management treatments for the home.

NDSU is recognized as one of the nation's top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.