Beyond Lyme: 7 Common Tick-Borne Diseases You Should Know About

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Ticks are tiny parasites that can cause big problems. When it comes to tick-borne illnesses, you’ve probably heard of Lyme disease. But did you know there are several other tick-borne diseases in the U.S.? We’ll look at seven common tick-borne illnesses, including how to recognize their symptoms and what you can do to treat them. 

What is a tick-borne disease?

A tick-borne illness is an infection that an infected tick transmits. The tick itself doesn’t cause the illness. There’s no risk of illness if a healthy tick bites you.

But an infected tick can pass the infection on to the host (a human or another animal) when it bites. This happens because the infected tick attaches to and “feeds” on the blood of the host.

There are lots of different tick-borne infections. They can be caused by a virus, bacteria, or parasite. 

Whether or not an infected tick transmits an infection depends on how long the tick stays attached and feeds. A tick’s meal can last several hours to several days. The sooner you remove the tick from the skin, the lower the risk of getting a tick-borne infection. 

What diseases are linked to tick bites?

The CDC lists 16 diseases ticks carry and transmit in the U.S. The presence of the ticks carrying these diseases varies by region.

Let’s run through some of the more widespread tick-borne diseases.

1. Lyme disease

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in the U.S. It's easy to treat if you catch it early. Without treatment it can lead to long-term joint, heart, nerve, and brain complications. 

2. Anaplasmosis

Anaplasmosis is a tick-borne illness that has only been reported in the U.S. since the 1990s. Late and severe illness is rare in anaplasmosis.

3. Babesiosis

Babesiosis is caused by microscopic parasites that infect and destroy red blood cells of hosts.  Although it’s rare and typically doesn’t cause symptoms for humans, babesiosis can be severe. 

4. Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is a serious tick-borne illness. It’s important to identify and treat it early. RMSF can rapidly progress to life-threatening or permanent disability, such as limb amputation or paralysis.

5. Ehrlichiosis

Ehrlichiosis is another tick-borne illness that needs early treatment to avoid late or severe illness. Untreated ehrlichiosis can cause life-threatening neurological, respiratory, and blood-related complications.

6. Tularemia

Ticks can transmit tularemia. But transmission can also occur when a human handles an infected animal, often when hunting. Tularemia is highly infectious and can be difficult to diagnose. Antibiotics can easily treat it. 

7. Alpha-gal syndrome

Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), isn’t an infection. It’s an allergy to a specific type of sugar in red meat. There’s still a lot of mystery around AGS, but experts know a tick bite (not necessarily an infected one) often triggers it.

What are the symptoms of tick-borne diseases?

Many of the common tick-borne diseases share similar early symptoms:

• Fever and chills

• Headache

• Fatigue

• Muscle aches

• Gastrointestinal disturbances

• Loss of appetite 

• Rash (in some cases)

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Late-stage symptoms depend on the specific disease and treatment (if any) the person uses. 

Tick paralysis is a rare complication that happens if the saliva of an attached tick contains a toxin. Tick paralysis causes weakness that starts in the legs and moves up the body. It can look and feel similar to other nerve diseases, like Guillain-Barré syndrome. 

The treatment for tick paralysis is to remove the infected tick. Usually people regain movement within 24 to 48 hours after the tick is removed. But, because paralysis can be so scary, healthcare professionals should monitor anyone with tick paralysis in the hospital.  

When to seek medical help for a tick bite

If you notice a tick on your body, remove it right away and watch carefully for symptoms over the next month. Seek medical care if you develop symptoms.   

Remember, most ticks aren’t infected. And even if they’re infected, most ticks can’t spread disease unless they’re in the right stage of life and stay latched on for several hours to days. 

If you’re in an area that has a high percentage of infected ticks, then you’ll want to look for ticks and bites very carefully whenever you spend time outdoors. 

How long after a tick bite do symptoms appear?

Although the specific timelines may vary, most early symptoms of tick-borne diseases show up  within days to 3 weeks. If you don’t see and remove the tick yourself, ticks typically fall off on their own after a couple of days. 

Even if you don’t see the tick, you might notice that your skin becomes hard, red, bumpy, or itchy at the site. This is just your body’s reaction to the tick’s saliva and does not necessarily mean you’re infected.

How do you diagnose tick-borne diseases?

Since the symptoms of various tick-borne illnesses are similar, your healthcare provider might use lab tests. To help diagnose and treat you, they’ll base this on the geographic region where the tick bit you.

But lab testing for ticks is not always reliable. There have been cases of false-positive and false-negative results. So, if you’ve seen a tick, removed one, or you were in a high-risk area and developed symptoms, that’s a good enough reason to get treatment to cover the most likely tick-borne diseases in your area. 

Are tick-borne diseases curable?

Antibiotics can cure most cases of tick-borne diseases. The key points are to recognize the tick when it’s attached, notice the symptoms, and get prompt treatment. 

How soon do you need antibiotics after a tick bite?

If a tick bites you, be on the lookout for symptoms over the next few weeks. Get treatment as soon as possible if you develop a rash, fever, fatigue, body aches, or other concerning symptoms. 

If you live in an area of high risk for Lyme disease, your healthcare provider may give you a single preventive dose of doxycycline, even if you don’t have symptoms. 

Antibiotic prevention is only effective for Lyme disease. Healthcare providers usually recommend it in the following circumstances: 

• You can take it within 72 hours of a tick bite.

• An adult blacklegged tick was attached for 36 hours or more.

• You live in an area where there are many cases of Lyme disease.

A single dose of doxycycline can prevent Lyme disease if you take it within 72 hours of tick removal. But healthcare providers should consider certain criteria before prescribing it. For most other tick-borne illnesses, experts don’t recommend preventive antibiotics for people who don’t have symptoms. 

How long do tick-borne illnesses last?

Most tick-borne illness symptoms get better with the right antibiotic. If not treated, symptoms can become more severe, like with Lyme disease and RMSF. But even with quick treatment, up to 20% of people with Lyme disease might have symptoms even after the infection is gone. This is called “chronic Lyme” or “post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome.” 

Chronic Lyme disease can cause many symptoms, including fatigue, muscle pain, and difficulty concentrating. The symptoms must have started within 6 months of a Lyme infection and last for at least 6 months. More research is needed to better understand why this occurs in some people and not others. 

How can you avoid tick bites?

If you spend time in outdoor, wooded, and/or grassy areas, it's a good idea to learn about the types of ticks in the area and the rates of infection. 

Try to avoid areas you know have a lot of ticks. When this is not possible, chemicals in bug repellents — like DEET, permethrin, and picaridin — can help ward off tickbites. You can keep ticks off your skin by wearing light-colored clothing, long sleeves, and pants. And you can tuck your pants into your socks. Finally, check yourself and your pets often, and quickly remove any ticks you find.   

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Melody B. Jones, NP

Melody Jones, NP, has over a decade of experience as a nurse practitioner. She works in a multi-specialty practice in Atlanta, Georgia, and is a part of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.

Edited by:

Sophie Vergnaud, MD

Sophie Vergnaud, MD, is the Senior Medical Director for GoodRx Health. An experienced and dedicated pulmonologist and hospitalist, she spent a decade practicing and teaching clinical medicine at academic hospitals throughout London before transitioning to a career in health education and health technology.

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