Lone star ticks transmit ehrlichiosis, and deer ticks carry anaplasmosis and babesiosis.Īlpha-gal Syndrome (AGS): AGS, also known as red meat allergy, is a potentially life-threatening reaction to the alpha-galactose (alpha-gal) sugar molecule found in the meat of non-primate mammals. Diagnosis requires specialized laboratory tests administered by a medicalprofessional. Symptoms usually occur within 1-2 weeks following a bite by an infected tick. Deer ticks transmit Lyme disease.Įhrlichiosis, Anaplasmosis, and Babesiosis: These tick-borne diseases have symptoms that include headache, fatigue, and muscle aches. Lyme disease can only be confirmed by a medical doctor with specialized laboratory tests. A small percentage of untreated people develop chronic symptoms of arthritis and nervous system complications. The rash may not be well-defined in appearance and is seen only in 70% of Lyme patients, who still develop flu-like symptoms such as nausea, headache, fever, and general stiffness of the neck joints. Lyme disease initially develops as a rounded, red ringed “bulls-eye” rash, usually 2 or more inches in size at the site of the tick bite. Lyme Disease: Lyme disease is rarely transmitted in the first 24 hours of tick attachment, so frequent checking and prompt removal of any ticks is strongly recommended. American dog ticks and lone star ticks transmit RMSF. A blood test is needed to confirm the disease and antibiotics should begin early if RMSF is suspected. By the third day after the bite, a red rash develops on the wrists and ankles in most cases, and may spread over the body. The first noticed symptoms are usually severe headache, chills, fever, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, and other flu-like symptoms usually starting 2-14 days after the tick bite. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF): A tick must be attached for 4-6 hours to transmit RMSF to its human host. Avoiding tick bites is the best way to protect yourself from tick-borne diseases. The following list does not include all the potential diseases transmitted by ticks in Virginia. Treat clothes with permethrin following all label precautions.Ĭonsult a medical professional for any questions regarding suspected tick-transmitted diseases.Treat your lawn with an approved pesticide for tick control.Ask your veterinarian to recommend tick controls for your pets.Apply insect repellents containing active ingredients such as DEET, picaridin, oil of eucalyptus, Bio-UD, or IR3535 to exposed skin.Conduct tick checks on children and pets every four hours when staying outside.Tuck pant legs into socks so ticks stay on the outside of pants.Wear light-colored clothing so ticks can be easily seen.Keep grass and underbrush mowed and thinned.Walk in the center of trails and avoid brushing against weeds and tall grass.Avoid tick infested areas such as tall grass and dense vegetation.The following methods of prevention are recommended by the Virginia Department of Health. Kill the tick in rubbing alcohol and keep it in a small vial for a few months in case any disease symptoms develop and the tick needs to be identified. Wash the wound with an antiseptic after the tick is removed. Do not use nail polish, petroleum jelly, alcohol, or hot matches to remove the tick. Do not twist or jerk as this will leave the mouthparts in the skin. Grasp the tick as close as possible to the skin and pull slowly with even pressure to avoid leaving the mouthparts in the wound. Ticks are best removed with tweezers or by wrapping the tick in a tissue and pulling it out with fingers. Adult Asian longhorned tick (Eric Day, Virginia Tech, ). at this time, we continue to monitor the potential spread of these diseases.Figure 4. The most common diseases carried by Asian longhorned ticks are bovine theileriosis and babesiosis, which can impact a wide range of domestic animal species. In extreme cases, Asian longhorned tick infestations can result in the death of the host animal. Large numbers of ticks infest one host at one time which weakens the animal and can impact milk production. They feed on many hosts but prefer cattle. USDA Map of Reported Asian Longhorn Tick Locations Hosts and HabitatsĪsian longhorned ticks prefer pastures and meadows. and are spreading to new parts of New York State. They were initially found on sheep in New Jersey in 2017 and are now found in many areas in the eastern U.S. They choose wide-ranging hosts including livestock and transient wildlife such as deer and birds.Īsian longhorned ticks are native to East Asia but considered invasive in the U.S. Asian longhorned ticks are not picky eaters. Because one female can produce thousands of offspring without a male (they can reproduce parthenogenetically) only one tick is needed to create a population in a new area.
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