Ticks carry more than just Lyme

May 15--Lyme is certainly a terrible disease, but its not the only worry when it comes to tick bites, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Pathogens carried by the blacklegged tick:

--Anaplasmosis -- transmitted through the bite of the blacklegged tick in northeastern and upper midwestern region and by the western blacklegged tick along the Pacific coast. Symptoms include fever, headache, chills and muscle aches.

--Babesiosis -- is transmitted by the bite of the blacklegged trick in the northeast and upper midwest. Many people never develop symptoms, however, some may experience fever, chills, sweats, headaches, body aches, a loss of appetite, nausea or fatigue. The disease can be life-threatening for those with a weak immune system, or those without a spleen or other serious health conditions.

--Borrelia mayonii -- has been transmitted by the bite of blacklegged ticks in Minnesota and Wisconsin. It is a relatively new species of bacteria and like B. burgdorferi can cause Lyme disease. It carries many of the same symptoms as the B. burgdorferi infection -- fever, headache, rash, neck pain in the early stages and arthritis in the later stages -- but also can cause nausea and vomiting and a higher concentration of the bacteria in the blood.

--Borrelia miyamotoi -- of infection are similar to Lyme disease, however, a rash is not common.

--Lyme disease -- is transmitted by bite of the blacklegged tick in the northeastern U.S. and upper midwestern U.S. and the western blacklegged tick along the Pacific coast. Symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a skin rash. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system.

--Powassan disease -- is transmitted by the blacklegged tick and the groundhog tick primarily in northeastern states and the Great Lakes region. Symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting, weakness, confusion, seizures and memory loss. And, like Lyme, if untreated, it may cause long-term neurological problems.

If you are outside the northeast, there are several other ticks to watch out for:

--The Rocky Mountain wood tick can spread Colorado tick fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever,

--The lone star tick can carry Ehrlichiosis, Heartland virus, Southern tick-assciated rash illness and Tularemia, which can be life-threatening.

--The Gulf Coast tick can carry Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis

--The American dog tick can carry the Rocky Mountain spotted fever

--The brown dog tick can carry the Rocky Mountain spotted fever

--The dog tick can carry Tularemia.

--The wood tick can carry Tularemia.

--Soft ticks can carry Tickborne relapsing fever.

--Pacific Coast ticks can carry 364D rickettsiosis.

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