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Lyme Disease
Lyme Disease
Types of Ticks
Tick Species and Related Diseases
The Ixodes scapularis tick, commonly known as the deer tick, is responsible for transmitting a growing number of diseases, including Lyme disease, Ehrlichia, Anaplasmosis, and Babesia. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has provided detailed photographs of deer ticks, along with images of other tick species, on their website to help with identification and awareness. This resource is valuable for recognizing ticks and understanding their role in spreading diseases.
Types of Ticks
Blacklegged or Deer tick
(Ixodes scapularis)
Lives: Northeast and Upper Midwest states
Transmits: Lyme disease, Ehrlichia, Babesia, Bartonella, Anaplasmosis
Note:
- Powassan disease is a newly discovered infection transmitted by the blacklegged tick.
- Borrelia miyamotoi infection is also new, and shares many similarities with Lyme disease.
- Ticks carry Bartonella. There is a dispute over whether the Bartonella infection can be transmitted by the bite of a tick or if a patient becomes infected through the mite of a cat, which also carries Bartonella.
Types of Ticks
Western Blacklegged tick
(Ixodes pacificus)
Lives: Pacific Coast
Transmits: Lyme disease, Ehrlichia, Babesia, Bartonella, Anaplasmosis
Types of Ticks
American Dog tick
(Dermacentor variabilis)
Lives: East Coast, some areas of Pacific Coast
Transmits: Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Tularemia, Ehrlichia
Note: It can be difficult to distinguish a blacklegged tick from the dog tick. The adult female deer tick can be nearly the same size as a dog tick. However, a deer tick typically has a black shield behind its mouthpart even when engorged, while the dog tick has a brown and white shield behind the mouthpart.
Types of Ticks
Brown Dog tick
(Rhipicephalus sanguineus)
Lives: Throughout the United States
Transmits: Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Types of Ticks
Lone Star tick
(Ambylomma americanum)
Lives: South-Central and Eastern states
Transmits: Tularemia, Ehrlichia, and Borrelia lonestari (STARI – Southern tick-associated rash illness), a disease similar to Lyme disease
Note: Nymph, adult male and female transmit diseases.
Types of Ticks
Pacific Coast tick
(Dermacentor occidentalis)
Lives: Pacific Coast
Transmits: Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Tularemia
Types of Ticks
Rocky Mountain Wood tick
(Dermacentor andersoni)
Lives: Rocky Mountain states
Transmits: Tularemia, Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Note: Adult male and female transmit diseases.
Disclaimer: New diseases carried by different tick species are emerging, and research continues into the role each species plays in transmitting such diseases. For example, 364D Rickettsiosis has been found in California and is transmitted by the Pacific Coast tick, and the Rocky Mountain Wood tick is known to transmit a virus, Colorado tick fever, according to the CDC.
If you have been bitten by a tick and are concerned about having been infected with a disease, contact a medical professional. If possible, remove the tick and save in a plastic bag in the freezer. Should you develop symptoms or become ill, the tick can be tested for diseases it may be carrying.
More About Lyme Disease
What Is Lyme Disease?
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection typically transmitted through the bite of an infected tick. It is one of the fastest growing infectious diseases in the country, and the steadily increasing number of cases has led many in the medical/scientific community and legislative arena to deem the disease a “public health crisis” and “epidemic”.
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Lyme Disease Symptoms
Lyme disease has been associated with numerous neurologic, rheumatologic and psychiatric manifestations. However, the full range of symptoms needed to recognize the disease may not be apparent to a physician during a routine examination.
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Misdiagnosing Lyme disease
Lyme disease and syphilis have both been coined “the great imitator.” Lyme disease symptoms may be similar to other medical conditions, making diagnosing a challenge. The Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) spirochete is an evasive organism which can penetrate virtually any organ or system in the body.
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