Tick Bites and Associated Diseases
Learn more about the risks of tick bites

Ticks are tiny, biting insects that feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals, including humans. They burrow painlessly into the skin with their feeding parts, bite, draw blood and eventually drop off when they become engorged with blood. Tick-borne diseases include Lyme disease, human granulocytic ehrlichiosis, tularemia, Rocky mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever, relapsing fever, human monocytic ehrlichiosis, and babesiosis.
Although most tick bites do not cause any symptoms some people might experience symptoms following a tick bite including fever, headache, joint pain, muscle pain, fatigue, and muscle weakness. The skin might also react in an adverse way with pus-filled bumps, hardened skin elevations, and nodules (granulomas) that, in rare cases, can grow large enough to require surgical removal
Tick paralysis is rare and begins in the feet and legs and gradually works its way to the upper body, arms and head over a period of hours or days. Once the tick is removed, a person with tick paralysis will recover completely. Symptoms associated with tick-borne infections may vary depending on the type of infection. The most common infections are listed below:
Lyme disease - This infection is accompanied by symptoms that mimic those of the flu. Sometimes, an expanding red rash that may include a central clear area (a bull's-eye rash) may occur. Other symptoms include arthritis, heart rhythm problems, difficulties in thinking or perception, and neuropathies.
Human monocytic ehrlichiosis — This disease may include common symptoms such as high fever, headache, fatigue, nausea, weight loss and a spotted rash.
Human granulocytic ehrlichiosis — Symptoms may range from mild to severe and include high fever, headache, a general sick feeling, achy muscles, nausea, vomiting, cough, stiff neck and confusion.
Colorado tick fever — This infection brings about symptoms such as fever and chills, severe headache, achy muscles, stiff neck, light intolerance and, in some cases, a spotted rash.
Babesiosis — Many people will not have any symptoms from this disease while others might develop fatigue, fever, drenching sweats, nausea, vomiting, headache, muscle aches, joint aches and jaundice.

Tularemia — The symptoms of this disease vary from person to person, with some people not developing any symptoms at all. However, this disease also can be severe, causing septic shock and death. Symptoms, when they do occur, include fever, chills, headache and a general sick feeling.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever —Fever, headache, a spotted rash on wrists and ankles, and a patchy rash on arms and legs are some of the symptoms patients typically experience. Muscle aches nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain are common as well.
Prevention
To prevent tick bites in tick-infested areas, always walk on cleared trails and avoid walking through tall grass and low brush in wooded areas. Secondly, wear light-colored clothing covering both the arms and legs, making sure to tuck pant legs into socks. Treat clothing and skin with tick repellents containing diethyltoluamide (DEET). Lastly, thoroughly check yourself, children and pets for ticks after spending time in tick-infested areas.