Much as I dislike fear-mongering, you ought to be aware that tick bites are no joke. There are several life-changing or even life-threatening diseases that can be transmitted to humans by the bite of a tick.
Tick-Borne Diseases
- Lyme Disease (caused by Borrelia burgdorferi). Frequency: According to the Center for Disease Control, more than 16,000 infections are reported in the United States each year, including nearly 20,000 in 2004.
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever (Rickettsia rickettsii) Frequency: Between 250 and 1200 cases are reported annually to the Center for Disease Control.
- Human Ehrlichiosis (Ehrlichia chaffeensis). Frequency: over 1200 cases in the US through 1997, according to the CDC.
- Human Babesiosis (Babesia microti or B. divergens. Frequency: 300 cases diagnosed in the US since 1966
Symptoms: Fatigue, chills and fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, swollen lymph nodes, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans (EM) or bulls-eye rash. Late-stage Lyme Disease includes arthritis, usually in one or more large joints, especially the knees; nervous system abnormalities such numbness, pain, Bell's palsy (facial paralysis which usually occurs on one side) and meningitis (fever, stiff neck, and severe headache).
Symptoms: Fever, malaise, headache, chills, and conjunctival injection; atypically, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, joint pains, or stiff neck. Two to three days later, a maculopapular rash appears first on the wrists and ankles and extends to cover the extremities and the rest of the body. One characteristic feature of the rash is that it often covers the palms and soles. In severe cases the rash may become petechial, confluent, or largely hemorrhagic. In some patients, the rash may not progress beyond the maculopapular stage and in others, it may not appear until late in the disease process.
Symptoms: Fever, headache (generally unresponsive to aspirin or other analgesics), malaise, muscle aches, chills, sweating, and nausea and vomiting; atypically cough, joint pains, confusion, and rash. The rash can occur anywhere on the body (not necessarily associated with the site of the tick bite) and is generally macular or papular.
Symptoms: Malaria-like (sometimes misdiagnosed as malaria): fever, chills, sweating, myalgias, fatigue, hepatosplenomegaly, and hemolytic anemia. Symptoms typically occur after an incubation period of 1 to 4 weeks, and can last several weeks. The disease is more severe in patients who are immunosuppressed, splenectomized, and/or elderly. Infections due to B. divergens tend to be more severe (frequently fatal) than those due to B. microti, where clinical recovery usually occurs.
And Indiana Jones was afraid of snakes?
More Resources on About
- Lyme Disease, a primer from About Arthritis.
- Removing a Tick. a detailed guide from About Pediatrics.
- Lyme Disease and Related Tick-Borne Infections, About's Adam Health Care Center.
- Lyme Disease Photo Gallery, from About Arthritis.
Thanks to Henry Holt and The Louis Berger Group, Inc. for contributions to this feature.
