Tick Bites

Summary

If you spend time outdoors or have pets that go outdoors, you need to beware of ticks. Ticks are small bloodsucking parasites. Many species transmit diseases to animals and people. Some of the diseases you can get from a tick bite are Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia.

Some ticks are so small that they can be difficult to see. Ticks may get on you if you walk through areas where they live, such as tall grass, leaf litter or shrubs.

Tick-borne diseases occur worldwide, including in your own backyard. To help protect yourself and your family, you should:

• Use a chemical repellent with DEET, permethrin or picaridin
• Wear light-colored protective clothing
• Tuck pant legs into socks
• Avoid tick-infested areas
• Check yourself, your children and your pets daily for ticks and carefully remove any ticks you find

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Specifics

• About Powassan Virus Disease Minnesota Department of Health
• Babesiosis Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Heartland Virus Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Q Fever Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
• Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Tick-Borne Encephalitis (TBE) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever American Academy of Family Physicians

Find an Expert

• American Lyme Disease Foundation American Lyme Disease Foundation
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Start Here

• An Uptick in Ticks: Don’t Let Ticks Make You Sick National Institutes of Health
• Tickborne Diseases National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
• Ticks Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Ticks and Lyme Disease: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention Food and Drug Administration

Statistics and Research

• Anaplasmosis: Epidemiology and Statistics Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Ehrlichiosis: Epidemiology and Statistics Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Illnesses on the Rise from Mosquito, Tick, and Flea Bites Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Q Fever: Epidemiology and Statistics Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF): Epidemiology and Statistics Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Taking the Bite Out of Vector-Borne Diseases National Institute of General Medical Sciences

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Avoiding Ticks Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Find the Repellent that is Right for You Environmental Protection Agency
• Stop Ticks to Avoid Lyme and Other Tickborne Diseases Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Tick Bites National Institutes of Health
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Tick-Borne Diseases National Institutes of Health

Patient Handouts

• Colorado tick fever Medical Encyclopedia
• Ehrlichiosis Medical Encyclopedia
• Rocky Mountain spotted fever Medical Encyclopedia
• Tick bite Medical Encyclopedia
• Tick paralysis Medical Encyclopedia
• Tick removal Medical Encyclopedia
• Tularemia Medical Encyclopedia

Children

• First Aid: Tick Bites (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
• Hey! A Tick Bit Me! Nemours Foundation
• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
• Tick Removal: A Step-by-Step Guide (For Parents) Nemours Foundation

Related Issues

• It’s Open Season on Ticks Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Preventing Ticks on Your Pets Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Regions where Ticks Live Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Tick-Borne Diseases National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Journal Articles

• Tick Bites

Encyclopedia

• Relapsing fever Medical Encyclopedia
• Tularemia blood test Medical Encyclopedia

Symptoms

• Symptoms of Tickborne Illness Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Treatments and Therapies

• Tick Bites, First Aid VisualDX
• Tick Removal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

NIH MedlinePlus Magazine

• Understanding and Preventing Tick Bites