Tick-borne disease (patient information)

Lyme disease often appears as a "bull's-eye" rash around the site on the skin where there has been a tick bite.

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Tick-borne disease
Overview
What are the symptoms?
What are the causes?
Who is at highest risk?
When to seek urgent medical care?
Diagnosis
Treatment options
Where to find medical care for Tick-borne disease?
What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?
Possible complications
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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]

Overview

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

What are the symptoms of Tick-borne disease?

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

What causes Tick-borne disease?

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

Who is at highest risk?

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

Diagnosis

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.

Prevention of Tick-borne disease

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

Treatment options

Tick removal technique

• 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

When to seek urgent medical care?

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.

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)

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

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

Where to find medical care for Tick-borne disease?

Directions to Hospitals Treating Tick-borne disease

Possible complications

Complications depend on the type of infection transmitted.

Sources

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