When you hear about tick bites, you worry about the bulls-eye rash of Lyme disease. However, according to the CDC there are approximately a dozen other diseases that come from ticks – and doctors are seeing an uptick in some of them lately.
“With people spending more time outdoors because of COVID, we’ve seen more of these diseases,” explains Debra Spicehandler, MD, a specialist in infectious disease.
What to look out for:
With most tick-borne illnesses, including Lyme, early symptoms may mirror those of a flu-like illness, including:
Fever
Chills
Nausea and other gastrointestinal symptoms
Body aches
Headache
Most also have a rash at the site of the bite. However, the onset of symptoms after the bite varies from a few days to a few weeks depending on the illness.
In the Northeastern U.S., Spicehandler is seeing more cases of anaplasmosis and babesiosis, both of which are caused by the same type of tick that causes Lyme.
Anaplasmosis
The main difference between Lyme and anaplasmosis, is that anaplasmosis moves quicker. “People can get sick a few days after getting the tick bite,” Spicehandler says. The main symptoms include fever, nausea, and malaise. It can be diagnosed with a blood test. Fortunately, doxycycline, an antibiotic, works well to treat anaplasmosis.
Babesiosis
The danger with babesiosis is that many patients do not know they were bitten by a tick. Babesiosis is most often spread by young ticks in the nymph stage, when they are the size of a poppy seed, and the bite is easy to miss. Some people with babesiosis are asymptomatic. Some people have flu-like symptoms like fever, body aches, and nausea a week after a bite. Babesiosis is “like malaria because it causes severe anemia,” Spicehandler says. Babesiosis is life-threatening, especially for people who are immunocompromised, elderly, or who do not have a spleen. It is also diagnosed via blood test and treated with various medications.
If you have a tick bite and live in the Northeast but do not have symptoms that fall under the categories of anaplasmosis or babesiosis, still speak to your health care provider if you are concerned.
Preventing tick bites
Clothing: Before spending time outdoors, even in warm weather, wear long layers, especially pants, so your skin is not exposed. If walking in long grass, tighter long layers or pants that can tuck into socks or shoes might help prevent ticks from gaining access to your skin. Spicehandler warns that ticks can live in regular-length lawn grass, too. She suggests wearing light colored clothing as well.
Repellent: Follow the instructions on the packaging about application and reapplication. Do a spot test at home on a small area of your skin before going out to make sure your skin does not react poorly to chemicals in the product.
Vigilance: One of the most important aspects of tick bite prevention is vigilance. “When coming in from outdoors you should always check for ticks,” says Spicehandler. Check yourself and the people you’re with, especially places where they cannot see on themselves such as their backs. “Ticks like to hide in hair,” says Spicehandler. Make sure to run your hands through and check your scalp after spending time in thick vegetation. For kids, it’s a good idea to check them in the bath. Don’t forget to check your pets as well.
Pets: Make sure your pet is on a tick prevention medication. Discuss options with your veterinarian.
In New York, ticks are most active from March to mid-May and from mid- August to November. While it’s scary to think of the many tick-borne illnesses that could potentially come into your life, the benefits of enjoying the outdoors often outweigh the risks so long as you take preventive measures, stay vigilant.
In New York, ticks are most active from March to mid-May and from mid-August to November. While it’s scary to think of the many tick-borne illnesses that could potentially come into your life, the benefits of enjoying the outdoors often outweigh the risks so long as you take preventive measures, stay vigilant.
