STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- If you are spending more time outdoors this summer, you need to be aware of the danger of ticks, and understand the different illnesses they can spread.
As many New Yorkers are flocking to nature -- looking to escape a spring under lockdown due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic -- novice nature-goers may be at an increased risk of encountering ticks, and potentially contracting some form of tick-borne illness, such as Lyme disease.
And while most people automatically think of Lyme disease when dealing with ticks, these insects carry various types of diseases.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), many tick-borne diseases have similar signs and symptoms. If you have been bitten by a tick and develop symptoms, you should be evaluated by a health-care professional.
According to the New York State Department of Health, not all ticks can cause disease and not all bites will make you sick. As the diseases become more common, it’s important to learn how to prevent a bite, to know how to remove a tick and to understand what to do if you think you could have a tick-borne illness.
Here’s a look at the symptoms of common and rare tick-borne illnesses.
LYME DISEASE
One of the more common tick-borne diseases, about 30,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported to the CDC by state health departments every year. However, this doesn’t reflect every case of Lyme disease diagnosed in the United States.
Cases of this disease are concentrated in the Northeast and upper Midwest, with 14 states accounting for more than 96% of cases reported to the CDC. Lyme disease is the most common disease spread by ticks in New York.
The symptoms of Lyme disease include: fever/chills, headache, fatigue, muscle aches, joint pain and a rash. According to the CDC, people treated with appropriate antibiotics in the early stages of Lyme disease usually recover rapidly and completely.
BABESIOSIS
This disease is considered rare and is caused by various types of microscopic parasites from the bite of an infected deer tick. Just over 2,300 cases were reported in 2017, according to the CDC.
In the United States, babesiosis mainly occurs in parts of the Northeast and upper Midwest, particularly in parts of New England, New York, New Jersey, Wisconsin and Minnesota, and usually peaks during the warmer months.
Many infected people feel fine and don’t have any symptoms, the CDC said. Some people develop flu-like symptoms, such as fever, chills, sweats, headache, body aches, loss of appetite, nausea or fatigue.
People who don’t have symptoms or signs of the disease usually don’t need to be treated. Health-care providers can talk with CDC staff about whether an infected person should be treated, what type of therapy to use and how long the treatment should last.
ANAPLASMOSIS
Anaplasmosis is a disease spread to people by tick bites primarily by the black-legged tick and the western black-legged tick. It is most frequently reported in the upper Midwest and Northeastern United States in areas that also have reported cases of Lyme disease.
The number of cases reported in the United States has increased from 348 cases in 2000 to 5,762 in 2017. Symptoms within the first two weeks include fever, headache, chills, malaise, myalgia, gastrointestinal symptoms, a rash and muscle aches. The illness is typically treated with antibiotics.
EHRLICHIOSIS
Ehrlichiosis is spread to people primarily through the bite of infected ticks including the lone star tick and the black-legged tick. The disease is most frequently reported from the Southeastern and South-Central United States, from the east coast extended westward to Texas. In 2017, four states -- New York, Virginia, Arkansas and Missouri -- accounted for more than 50% of all reported cases of this disease.
More than 1,640 cases of ehrlichiosis were reported in the United States in 2017, according to the CDC. The majority of cases were reported during June and July.
Symptoms usually are mild and moderate, and may include fever, chills, severe headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, confusion and a rash. The illness can be treated with antibiotics.
POWASSAN
Although considered rare, the number of reported cases of people sick from Powassan virus has increased in recent years. About 100 cases of this disease were reported in the United States over the last 10 years, according to the CDC. Most cases occur in the Northeast and Great Lakes regions, primarily in the late spring, early summer and mid-fall.
Many people who become infected with Powassan virus don’t develop any symptoms.
But if symptoms are present, they can include fever, headache, vomiting, weakness, confusion, loss of coordination, speech difficulties and seizures. There are no medications to treat Powassan virus infection, the CDC said.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN SPOTTED FEVER
There are about 4,000 to 6,000 tick-borne spotted fevers, including Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, reported in the United States every year, according to the CDC.
This disease is most often transmitted by the American dog tick in the Eastern, Central and Western United States. In the Rocky Mountain states, it can be transmitted by the Rocky Mountain wood tick. And the brown dog tick can transmit the diseases in the Southwestern United States.
Symptoms include high fever, severe headache, malaise, myalgia, edema around eyes and back of hands and gastrointestinal symptoms. It can be treated with antibiotics.
TULAREMIA
Tularemia infections have been reported from all 50 states, except for Hawaii. Ticks that transmit this disease to humans include the dog tick, the wood tick and the lone star tick. The disease is considered rare, as a few hundred cases of tularemia are reported each year. In 2017, 236 cases of the disease were reported in the United States, according to the CDC.
Symptoms include fever, chills, headache, malaise, fatigue, anorexia, myalgia, chest discomfort, cough, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. It can be treated with antibiotics.
HEARTLAND AND BOURBON VIRUS DISEASES
Both diseases are rare, and there’s not much information available about the symptoms and causes.
As of 2017, there have been more than 30 cases of Heartland virus disease reported form states in the Midwest and the South, the CDC said.
Symptoms include fever, fatigue, decreased appetite, headache, arthralgia, myalgia, nausea and diarrhea.
Treatment of Heartland virus disease is supportive only. Many patients diagnosed with this disease require hospitalization, according to the CDC. With supportive care, most people fully recover, however, a few older individuals have died.
TICK SAFETY TIPS
Those looking to avoid ticks and any related illnesses this summer can follow these helpful tips shared by TickEncounter at the start of this year’s spring tick season.
- Tuck your pants legs into your socks to limit skin exposure.
- Spray your shoes with repellents containing the active ingredient permethrin.
- Protect your pets with tick collars, spot ons and/or tick-repellant chew tablets.
- Stay in the middle of trails, away from high grass.
- Conduct a daily tick check.
IF YOU’VE BEEN BITTEN
If you notice a tick on you or your child, your first instinct may be to grab it quickly to get rid of it. But experts warn that could put you at risk. TickEncounter research shows one method is consistently reliable and safe.
It involves removing the tick with pointy tweezers, allowing a person to get rid of even the smallest of ticks. Stay away from flat tweezers that can squeeze the tick -- as this could release the insect’s potential sack of germs. After removing the tick, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention recommends to thoroughly clean the bite area and your hand with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub or soap and water.
Watch for symptoms, such as fever/chills, vomiting, aches and pains and rashes over the next few days. Fever is a common symptom of all tick-borne diseases. Common aches and pains with tick-borne diseases include headache, fatigue and muscle aches.