Everyone in Pennsylvania – the state with the highest number of cases of Lyme disease - should know by now to beware of ticks which transmit the disease.
Now, the discovery of a new tick-borne disease can give everyone something else to worry about.
The good news? The new disease isn’t in the U.S., at least not yet. It was discovered in Inner Mongolia in 2017 and revealed in a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine last week.
Discovered in one 42-year-old farmer who complained of fever and headaches and had a history of tick bites, it was soon found in dozens of other people.
A recent discovery of a new tick-borne disease in Inner Mongolia should serve as a stark reminder of all those who venture outside to be on the lookout for tick bites.
While the new disease wasn’t found in the U.S., the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists 16 tick-borne diseases that U.S. residents should be aware of.
The new disease was discovered in April 2017 when a a 42-year-old female farmer from Alongshan went to the hospital, NPR reports. She complained of a fever and headache, and had a history of tick bites. Researchers suspect it’s spread by a tick that’s found in parts of eastern Europe and Asia.
In the U.S., it’s at least a reminder, as tick season gets underway, to watch for ticks. in 2017, the Centers for Disease Control reported more than 59,000 cases of tick-borne diseases in the U.S.
And it’s not just Lyme disease. The CDC watches for 16 diseases that tickets transmit in the U.S. Here they are:
Anaplasmosis is transmitted by tick bites primarily from the blacklegged tick in the northeastern and upper midwestern U.S. and the western blacklegged tick along the Pacific coast.
Symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, chills, and muscle aches.
There were 5,762 cases reported in 2017.
Babesiosis is transmitted by the blacklegged tick found mostly in the Northeast and upper Midwest. It can be lift-threatening to those who don’t have a spleed, have a week immune system, have other serious health conditions, or are elderly.
Many who contract the disease sho no symptoms, but others develop flu-like symptoms.
1,744 cases of babesiosis were reported in 2014.
Borrelia mayonii is often transmitted by blacklegged ticks in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The bacteria is responsible for causing Lyme disease in six people in the upper Midwest, according to the CDC.
Symptoms of the bacteria include nausea and vomiting, diffuse rashes, and a higher concentration of bacteria in the blood.
Borrelia miyamotoi is transmitted by the blacklegged tick.
It was first identified in 1995 in ticks from Japan, but has since been found in two species of North American ticks - black-legged or “deer” ticks, and the western black-legged tick.
The bacteria can cause fever, chills, headache, joint pain, and fatigue.
Bourbon infection has been identified in a limited number patients in the Midwest and southern U.S. as of June 2018. The CDC doesn’t currently know if the infection has been found anywhere else.
Because there have only been a few cases, scientists are still learning about the possible symptoms caused by the disease. Those who have been diagnosed have reported fever, fatigue, rash, headache, other body aches, nausea, and vomiting.
The lone star tick is very aggressive and known to bite humans. Found across the eastern U.S., the tick can transmit Heartland virus and Bourbon virus.
Colorado tick fever is caused by a virus transmitted by the Rocky Mountain wood tick. Like the tick’s name suggests, the illness occurs in the the Rocky Mountain states at elevations of 4,000 to 10,500 feet.
The most common symptoms include fever, chills, headache, body aches, and fatigue. Some other possible symptoms include sore throat, vomiting, abdominal pain, and a skin rash. Some people may develop a more severe illness that affects the central nervous system.
Ehrlichiosis is transmitted to humans by the lone star tick found primarily in the south central and eastern U.S.
Early symptoms of the illness include fever, chills, severe headaches, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, confusion, and a rash. If not treated, the illness can cause damage to the brain or nervous symptom, respiratory failure, uncontrolled bleeding, organ failure, and death.
Heartland virus cases have been identified in the Midwestern and southern U.S., but the CDC doesn’t know if the virus can be present in other areas. Studies suggest that Lone Star ticks can transmit the virus.
Symptoms include fever, fatigue, decreased appetite, headache, nausea, diarrhea, and muscle or joint pain.
Maps released by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shower different reported tick-borne diseases throughout the U.S. in 2016.
Lyme disease is transmitted by the blacklegged tick in the northeastern U.S. and upper midwestern U.S. and the western blacklegged tick along the Pacific coast.
Symptoms of the disease include fever, rash, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes. Some later symptoms of the disease include severe headaches, stiffness in the neck, arthritis with severe joint pain, heart palpitations, and nerve pain.
There were 9,250 cases of lyme disease in Pennsylvania in 2017. There are about 30,000 cased on Lyme disease each year.
The blacklegged tick is found across the eastern U.S. and can transmit a number of diseases, including Lyme disease.
Powassan disease is transmitted by the blacklegged tick and the groundhog tick primarily in the Northeast and Great Lakes region.
Many people who develop the disease don’t show any symptoms, but some can include fever, headache, vomiting, weakness, confusion, loss of coordination, speech difficulties, and seizures.
The disease can even cause encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and meningitis (inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord).
Only 33 cases were reported in the U.S. in 2017.
Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis
Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis is transmitted to humans by the Gulf Coast tick. It is a group of spotted fevers, the most serious being the Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
The first sign of spotted fevers is a dark scab at the site of a tick bite. After that, symptoms can include fever, headache, rash, and muscle aches.
More than 6,248 cases of spotted fever rickettsiosis were reported in 2017.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever is transmitted by the American dog tick, Rocky Mountain wood tick, and the brown dog tick in the U.S. Cases are most commonly reported in North Carolina, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.
Symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, rash, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, muscle pain, and lack of appetite. If not treated, the disease can progress to serious and life-threatening illness.
Some who recover from the disease may be left with permanent damage, including amputation of appendages, hearing loss, paralysis, or mental disability.
While more than 6,248 cases of spotted fever rickettsiosis were reported in 2017, it is unknown how many were Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI)
Southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI) is transmitted via bites from the lone star tick found in the southeastern and eastern U.S.
The rash involved with STARI is a red “bull’s eye” lesion that develops where the tick bite occurs. Fatigue, headache, fever, and muscle pains are other possible symptoms.
Tickborne relapsing fever (TBRF)
Tickborne relapsing fever (TBRF) is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected soft ticks, and has been reported in 15 states - Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
There are two types of relapsing fever - tick-borne, and louse-borne. Both are linked to people sleeping in rustic cabins.
Tularemia is transmitted to humans by the dog tick, the wood tick, and the lone star tick throughout the U.S.
A skin ulcer at the site where a tick bite happens is the most common symptom of this disease. The disease can be life-threatening, but is usually successfully treated with antibiotics.
There were 239 cases reported in 2017, two of which were in Pennsylvania.
364D rickettsiosis a new disease discovered in California that is transmitted by the Pacific Coast tick.
A graphic showing the different types and sizes of ticks during their lifecycles
Here are some tips the CDC provided to prevent tick bites:
- Use EPA-registered insect repellents.
- Treat cats and dogs for ticks as recommended by a veterinarian.
- Check for ticks daily, especially under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the bellybutton, behind the knees, between the legs, around the waist, and on the hairline and scalp.
- Shower soon after being outdoors.
If you find a tick attached to you:
- Use fine-tipped tweezers to grab the tick as close to the skin as possible, as soon as possible.
- Pull upward with steady pressure - don’t jerk or twist the tick.
- Thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water.