Tickborne Infections

Understanding Tickborne Disease

Tickborne diseases are becoming a more frequent health problem as people build homes or travel in formerly uninhabited wilderness areas where ticks and their animal hosts live. Ticks can be infected with bacteria, viruses or parasites.

Tickborne Diseases in the United States

• Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis
• Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF)
• Babesiosis
• Colorado tick fever (CTF)
• Tularemia
• Relapsing fever (Borrelia)
• STARI
• Deer tick virus (Powassan)
• Heartland virus
• Bourbon virus
• Tick paralysis

Tick Season

Tick season runs from April to September, with peak months being May through August.

Disease Transmittal

Tick species vary by geographical area. Only the bites of certain tick species can transmit disease to humans.

Tickborn Testing Information

For additional information regarding Antigen and Antibody testing strategies, refer to our Laboratory Test Directory.

Additional Resources

• Tickborne Infections Trifold Pamphlet
• Geographic distribution of ticks that bite humans

ARUP Consult

• Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Ehrlichia Species - Anaplasmosis and Ehrlichiosis
• Babesia microti - Babesiosis
• Borrelia Species - Lyme Disease and Borrelia hermsii
• Rickettsia rickettsii - Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
• Rickettsia typhi - Typhus Fever

CDC

• Tickborne Disease Surveillance Data

Articles

• Record tick-borne disease cases reported in 2017
• 7 Tick-Borne Diseases That Are on the Rise
• Beyond Lyme: New Tick-Borne Diseases On The Rise In U.S.
• Diseases spread by ticks hit record level in U.S.