Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases
Tick-Borne Disease
Reportable to local or state health departments
This fact sheet is for provider information only.
If you have questions, please call the health department.
Disease | Tulameria | Spotted Fever Rickettsioses | Lyme/Lyme-Like | Ehlichiosis | Anaplasmosis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Symptoms | high fever, chills, myalgia, headache, non-healing tick bite, swollen glands | fever, chills, myalgia, severe headache, anorexia, spotted rash | fever, malaise, headache, myalgia, arthralgia, mild neck stiffness, bull’s eye rash | fever, headache, chills, rigors, fatigue, muscle aches, arthralgia | fever, headache, chills, rigors, fatigue, muscle aches, arthralgia |
Cause | Francisella tularensis | Rickettsia rickettsii | Lyme: Borrelia burgdorferi Lyme-Like: Unknown | Ehrlichia chaffeensis & E. ewingii | Anaplasma phagocytophilum |
Incubation | 3-5 days with a range of 1- 21 days | 7 days with a range of 3-12 days | 3-32 days with a median of 11 days | 5-14 days with a median of 9 days | 5-14 days with a median of 9 days |
Tick Involved | Tulameria | Spotted Fever Rickettsioses | Lyme/Lyme-Like | Ehlichiosis | Anaplasmosis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
American Dog tick: Dermacentor variabilis | yes | yes | - | - | - |
Lone star tick: Amblyomma americanum | yes | - | - | yes | no |
Black legged tick or deer tick: Ixodes scapularis | - | - | yes | no | yes |
Spread
Each disease is spread by the bite of a tick or contact with tick blood or feces.
Tularemia is also spread by infected meat and blood of animals such as rabbits and cat bites. For more information about each of the above diseases see the CDC website. Click on the appropriate letter and follow the links.
Follow tick precautions: Wear light colored clothing, wear insect repellants, and do tick check of the full body every night after being in tick infested areas.
Contagious Period
None. They are not spread person-to-person.
Exclusion
Child Care and School: None.
Diagnosis
Recommend parents/guardians call their healthcare provider if symptoms of any of the tick-borne diseases are present. Tick attachments may not be apparent. Rashes may not be present or may be delayed. Blood tests are available but may not be specific. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that confirmation testing be done in addition to the screening test to ensure more accurate results.
Treatment
Each disease can be treated with antibiotics. Treatment works best if it is started early. Discuss treatment options with the healthcare provider.
Prevention/Control
- Children should not handle sick or dead animals, both domestic pets and wild animals.
- Game meats should be cooked thoroughly.
- Avoid tick-infested areas, especially from April through September.
- Wear proper clothing when in endemic areas. Wear long pants, tuck pants into socks, wear a long sleeved shirt tucked into pants, and wear light-colored clothing so ticks are easier to see.
- Check for ticks on clothing and entire body while outdoors and when returning indoors. Check pets for ticks before letting them indoors.
- Remove ticks promptly. See the CDC website. Always grasp the tick by the head or mouth parts and gently but steadily pull straight back. Squeezing the body may cause the tick to inject infected saliva or blood. Do not use petroleum jelly, nail polish, or burning matches to remove ticks.
- Apply insect repellants with 20% - 50% DEET on skin and clothing.
- Children 2 months and older, use a repellant with 30% DEET or less.
For more information, call the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MDHSS) Bureau of Communicable Disease Control and Prevention at 573-751-6113 or 800-392-0272 (24/7), or call your local health department.