How Common are Tick Diseases?

Right now, more than 48 million Americans are at risk of bitten by ticks and contracting an illness. For now, however, we can keep ourselves protected, learn how to spot the symptoms of certain tick diseases, and protect ourselves against them. Let’s get into it!

I contracted Lyme Disease while out in the woods a couple of years ago. It had been bothering me for months before I got diagnosed. Since that incident, I’ve read a lot about ticks and learned quite a bit about tick diseases. I thought it would be helpful to put together an article that summarizes what we know about tick diseases.

How Common are Tick Diseases?

It’s important to know what you’re dealing with if you find a tick on your body. You need to know whether it’s a deer tick, black-legged tick, or Lone Star tick and what diseases they carry.

These ticks are often found in wooded areas. But they can also found in grassy areas where there may be brush or tall grasses. Some of the diseases that these ticks carry include Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, and babesiosis.

Tick diseases are common in the United States. Eight tick-borne illnesses can contracted from a tick bite.

These include:

1) Lyme disease

2) Rocky Mountain spotted fever

3) Ehrlichiosis

4) Babesiosis

5) Tularemia (also known as rabbit fever)

6) Powassan virus infection

7) Anaplasmosis

The most common tick-borne diseases in the United States include:

Lyme disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi and transmitted through the bite of an infected black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis). If left untreated, Lyme disease can cause long-term health problems including arthritis and cognitive disorders.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), is caused by Rickettsia rickettsii and transmitted through the bite of an infected dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis). RMSF can lead to fever, headache, muscle ache or joint pain, nausea, and vomiting.

Colorado tick fever (CTF), is caused by the Colorado Tick Fever virus and transmitted through the bite of an infected Rocky Mountain wood tick (Dermacentor Anderson). CTF can cause fever, headache, muscle aches, or joint pains.

Tularemia is caused by Francisella tularensis bacteria and transmitted through the bite of an infected deer fly or deer tick