Babesiosis: This is an infection that comes from the Western Black-legged tick and the black-legged tick and possibly mosquito. There are arguments between physicians about whether other ticks can carry this illness as well. The symptoms of Babesia may include: fever, chills, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, jaundice and anemia. This disease can be fatal for the elderly and those without spleens.
How does the tick transmit Babesia? Well, the tick gives cells to it's host. Once that cell enters the red blood cell of the rodent. It then begins producing a new type of cell and the tick takes back those bad cells. Those are fertilized in the gut of the tick and develop into the tick's salivary glands. It's introduced into the human upon inoculation at the bite of an infected tick. The same kind of phase happens again only into the humans.
Colorado Tick Fever: This is a viral disease transmitted by the Rocky Mountain wood tick and the Pacific Coast tick. The symptoms may include: high fever, chills, severe headache, muscle aches and sometimes a faint rash that lasts a week or less. Complications of this infection include encephalitis, heart problems and severe bleeding. First signs of symptoms can occur about 3–6 days after the initial tick bite, although it can have incubation periods of up to 20 days. Patients usually experience a two-staged fever and illness which can continue for three days, diminish, and then return for another episode of 1–3 days. The virus has the ability to live in the blood stream for up to 120 days; therefore coming in contact without proper precautions and the donation of blood are prohibited.
Ehrlichia: This is a bacterial infection that is transmitted by the American dog, brown dog, lone star, black-legged and Western black-legged tick. The symptoms may include: fever, malaise, headache, chills, severe muscle aches or pain, vomiting, anemia, lung infection, decrease in white blood cells, elevated liver enzymes and neurological symptoms include seizures, meningitis, confusion, ataxia, cranial nerve palsy, and decline in mental status. This can be fatal if treatment is delayed.
Relapsing Fever: This is a multi-system disease transmitted by soft tick. Symptoms include: bouts of fever and chills, headache, muscle and joint pain that alternates with the fever. The infection can be detected during the fever stage. It one species of Borrelia. There are 36 species of Borrelia. 12 can cause Lyme ... this particular Borrelia (Borrelia Recurrentis) causes Relapsing Fever.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever: This is most prevalent in the eastern U.S., but has also been reported all across the nation. The Rocky Mountain wood, Brown Dog Tick, American dog and Pacific Coast ticks transmit the disease. Rickettsia is a similar disease with similar symptoms. Symptoms include: Flu-like aches, headache, chills, confusion, light sensitivity, high fever, a reddish-black measles-like rash that may spread over the entire body. This is fatal if proper treatment is delayed.
Tick Paralysis:It is the only tick illness NOT caused by an infection, but caused by a toxin in the saliva of a female tick and is potentially fatal. Rocky Mountain wood, American dog and lone star ticks can transmit this disease. Symptoms include: headache, vomiting, general malaise, loss of motor function and reflexes, paralysis in the lower body that spreads to the rest of the body. Respiratory failure and death can occur and young children can die in one or two days after being infected.
Tularemia: This bacterial infection is transmitted by the American dog, lone star, Rocky Mountain wood, Pacific Coast tick as well as deer flies and contact with infected animals or contaminated water. Symptoms include: repeated bouts of severe fever, swollen lymph nodes that can develop into skin ulcers, conjunctivitis and pneumonia.
More information:
All of the above infections can be transmitted by ticks in the nymph stage. In the nymph stage, ticks are very tiny, which means that it is possible that no tick will be seen. If the individual has been in areas where wildlife frequents, ticks in all stages of development are present. If the individual has dogs, the possibility of infection from incorrectly removing a dog tick exists.
Fleas from small mammals like mice, squirrels, chipmunks can also transmit tick borne diseases. Blood transfusions are also possible sources of transmission. So someone who has no history of outdoor activities can have one of the above infections.
