Tick-borne disease (patient information)

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: João André Alves Silva, M.D. [2]

Tick-borne diseases are transmitted by ticks. Hard and soft-bodied female ticks are believed to make a poison that can cause tick paralysis in children. While most ticks do not carry diseases, some can carry pathogens, including bacteria, virus or parasites, which may cause:

• Colorado tick fever
• Lyme disease
• Rocky Mountain spotted fever
• Tularemia

Watch for the following symptoms of tick-borne disease in the weeks following a tick bite:

• Rash
• Skin ulcer
• Fever/ chills
• Headache
• Muscle or joint aches
• Weakness
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Flu-like symptoms
• Stiff neck

The symptoms below refer to the problems resulting from the bite itself, not the diseases that a bite may cause. Some of the symptoms may be specific of one kind of tick:

• Rash
• Blisters
• Swelling at bite site
• Severe pain at bite site lasting for several weeks
• Weakness
• Difficulty breathing
• Uncoordinated movement

While most ticks do not carry diseases, some ticks may carry bacteria that can cause:

• Lyme disease (most common tick disease in the US)
• Colorado tick fever
• Rocky Mountain spotted fever
• Tularemia

People who spend time outdoors and/or have pets that go outdoors are at risk for tick-borne disease, particularly during the warm seasons.

Signs and symptoms may be different according to the kind of tick and the transmitted disease. An example of a skin rash, following tick-bite, is the bull’s eye rash from Lyme disease.

Avoid wooded or grassy fields, where ticks reside, particularly in warm seasons.

• Remove the tick carefully not to leave the tick’s head stuck in the skin.
• If there is a collection of pus, the area will need to be incised and drained.
• Antibiotic treatment is often justified:

• Doxycycline to treat suspected tick-borne disease, such as Lyme disease
• IV dose of a cephalosporin followed by Keflex 500 mg PO q 6 hours to treat surrounding cellulitis
• Bactrim twice a day is given to cover Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in hospital workers

If you have symptoms of Tick-borne disease contact health care professional. Long-term treatment may be needed if complications develop. Preventive antibiotics are often given to people who live in areas where Lyme disease is common.

Most tick bites are harmless. The outcome will depend on:

• Kind of infection the tick may have transmitted
• Timing until treatment initiation

Directions to Hospitals Treating Tick-borne disease

Complications depend on the type of infection transmitted.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002856.htm

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