Beyond Lyme: The Other Tick Transmitted Diseases
 Summer 2006 may be a banner year for ticks, experts say. The mild winter enabled a larger number of ticks to survive the cold months and reproduce. May to September is peak tick season in New England.
Learn how to protect yourself and prevent bites.
Ticks found in New England can transmit three diseases:
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Lyme disease
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Babesiosis
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Ehrlichiosis
Information about Lyme disease has been widely disseminated, especially in New England. Babesiosis and ehrlichiosis are lesser-known diseases with similar symptoms. Many individuals who contract babesiosis or ehrlichiosis are also infected with Lyme disease. In Rhode Island, Block Island as well as Prudence, Patience and Hope islands in Narragansett Bay, are known hotbeds for tick borne diseases. Tick borne diseases are endemic in parts of Connecticut as well as the coastal areas and islands of Massachusetts, particularly Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
"These infections often go unrecognized. Better awareness by the public and the medical community is key for prevention, diagnosis and treatment,” says Timothy Flanigan, MD, chief of infectious disease at The Miriam Hospital and Rhode Island Hospital.
Causes
Babesiosis is caused by a parasite that is transmitted from small mammals, commonly mice, to deer ticks; the parasite is then passed on to humans. Ehrlichiosis is caused by a bacterium commonly carried by the white-tailed deer and transmitted to humans through bites from lone star and blacklegged ticks.
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From left to right: adult female, adult male, nymph, larva of deer tick, shown against an inch ruler.
This image courtesy Illinois Department of Health. |
Symptoms
Symptoms of babesiosis and ehrlichiosis appear about one to three weeks after a tick bite. Symptoms for both diseases include fever, chills, headaches, muscle aches and pains, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, headache and sometimes, confusion. Babesiosis may also cause an enlarged liver or spleen and a low red blood cell count. Diagnosis of babesiosis or ehrlichiosis is based on the observed symptoms and confirmed by blood tests.
Treatment
Both diseases are treated with a 7 to 10 day course of antibiotics and most people begin to feel better within a couple of days. If left untreated, severe cases may require hospitalization. However, many patients with either disease never develop any symptoms and improve without treatment. Those who have had babesiosis may not donate blood as this disease may be transmitted by blood transfusion.
In the United States, the effects of babesiosis and ehrlichiosis are most severe in the elderly, those who have had their spleen removed, patients on certain medications such as steroids, those who are undergoing chemotherapy, as well as patients who are HIV positive.
More information about ticks and diseases they spread from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
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