Tick‑Borne Diseases (With the Creepy Details)
I recently talked to a friend I hadn't spoken with for some time and learned she'd been in the hospital with a tick-borne illness. I had no idea that ticks could make you sick enough to nearly die. I knew about Lyme Disease and Alpha Gal, but a little research indicates that there are a lot of tick-borne diseases out there.
The weird thing is that these diseases didn't seem to be a problem when I was a child. I had ticks on me frequently. My family lived on a farm. It wasn't unusual to have to get my mother to pull a tick out of my head. It was a common childhood thing. You played outside, ticks found you.
By the time I was an adult, though, things had changed. This makes me wonder if some environmental issue has caused ticks to become toxic sources of illnesses.
Here are some of the diseases ticks can give you.
1. Lyme Disease is spread by black‑legged ticks. It starts with fatigue, fever, and sometimes the famous bull’s‑eye rash (though plenty of people never get one). Untreated, it can move into joints, nerves, and the heart. Virginia is a hotspot.
2. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) is carried by the American dog tick and the brown dog tick. Begins with high fever and a headache that feels like someone is tightening a belt around your skull. The rash often shows up late, which is why early treatment matters.
3. Ehrlichiosis is delivered courtesy of the lone star tick. It causes fever, chills, muscle aches, and sometimes confusion. Blood tests often show low white cells and platelets. Responds well to doxycycline if caught early.
4. Anaplasmosis is similar to ehrlichiosis but transmitted by black‑legged ticks. Symptoms include fever, chills, and a general “I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck” sensation. Can cause organ issues if untreated.
5. Babesiosis is a parasite spread by the black-legged tick that infects red blood cells. It's basically malaria’s American cousin. Causes fever, dark urine, and anemia. More dangerous for people over 50 or those without a spleen.
6. Tularemia is rare but serious. Ticks can transmit it, but so can handling infected rabbits. Symptoms depend on how it enters the body, but fever and swollen lymph nodes are common. It's sometimes called “rabbit fever.”
7. Powassan Virus is a fast‑acting virus spread by black‑legged ticks. Transmission can happen in as little as 15 minutes. Can cause brain swelling, seizures, and long‑term neurological problems. Thankfully rare.
8. Heartland Virus was first identified in Missouri; it is now found in the Midwest and South. It spreads by the lone star tick. The virus causes fever, fatigue, low white blood cells, and low platelets. There is no specific treatment except supportive care.
9. Bourbon Virus is another newly discovered tick‑borne virus, also linked to the lone star tick. Symptoms include fever, rash, and low blood counts. Extremely rare but severe when it occurs.
10. Alpha‑gal Syndrome is not an infection. It’s an allergy triggered by lone star tick bites. Causes delayed allergic reactions to red meat, gelatin, and sometimes dairy. People often discover it after a steak dinner goes sideways at 2 a.m. I know several people who have this. Some have found relief with acupuncture. Some have just waited it out, and some may never eat certain meats again.
11. STARI (Southern Tick–Associated Rash Illness) looks like Lyme, acts like Lyme, but isn’t Lyme. Lone star ticks again are the cause. This disease causes a rash and flu‑like symptoms, but the exact cause remains unknown. Responds to antibiotics even though no bacterium has been identified.
12. Colorado Tick Fever is a viral illness carried by ticks in the Rocky Mountains. Causes fever that comes and goes in waves, plus muscle aches and fatigue. The virus hides inside red blood cells, which makes blood donation unsafe for months afterward.
13. Tick‑borne Relapsing Fever is caused by Borrelia species transmitted by soft ticks. True to its name, symptoms come in cycles: high fever for a few days, then a break, then another fever spike. Can cause nausea, dizziness, and night sweats.
Here in Virginia, we get the full cast of characters: black‑legged ticks, lone star ticks, and American dog ticks, each with its own bad habits. Lyme disease is the most common statewide, especially in the Blue Ridge and northern counties, but ehrlichiosis and alpha‑gal syndrome are rising fast thanks to the ever‑pushy lone star tick. Rocky Mountain spotted fever shows up regularly, too, and Powassan virus has been detected in the region even though cases remain rare. In short, Virginia has more than its share of tick‑borne trouble, and most of it is sitting right in the tall grass waiting for someone to walk by.
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| Black-legged tick and lone star tick (AI drawing) |
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