What is the disease called that results from a tick bite? - briefly
The illness transmitted by a tick bite is Lyme disease, caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and spread primarily by Ixodes ticks.
What is the disease called that results from a tick bite? - in detail
Ticks transmit a variety of pathogens; the most prevalent illness associated with a bite is caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi and is commonly referred to as Lyme disease.
The bacterium is carried chiefly by the black‑legged tick (Ixodes scapularis in the eastern United States and Ixodes pacificus on the West Coast). Adult ticks acquire the organism from infected rodents or birds and can transmit it to humans during a blood meal lasting 36–48 hours. The disease is endemic in the northeastern, mid‑Atlantic, and upper Midwestern states, as well as parts of the Pacific Northwest and western Europe.
Clinical manifestations progress through stages:
- Early localized (3–30 days): erythema migrans rash expanding from the bite site, often accompanied by fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint aches.
- Early disseminated (weeks to months): multiple erythema migrans lesions, facial nerve palsy, meningitis, radiculopathy, atrioventricular block, and occasional cardiac myocarditis.
- Late disseminated (months to years): migratory polyarthritis, especially of large joints, chronic neurologic deficits such as peripheral neuropathy, and encephalopathy.
Diagnosis relies on a combination of clinical findings and laboratory testing. Serologic screening with an ELISA is followed by a confirmatory Western blot; PCR of synovial fluid or cerebrospinal fluid may be employed in specific cases. Culture of B. burgdorferi is rarely performed because of low sensitivity.
Standard therapy uses oral doxycycline 100 mg twice daily for 10–21 days in most adults. Alternative regimens include amoxicillin or cefuroxime axetil for patients who cannot tolerate doxycycline, such as pregnant women and young children. Intravenous ceftriaxone is reserved for severe neurologic or cardiac involvement.
Prevention measures focus on reducing tick exposure:
- Wear long sleeves and pants, tuck clothing into socks when entering wooded or grassy areas.
- Apply EPA‑registered repellents containing DEET, picaridin, or IR3535 to skin and permethrin to clothing.
- Perform thorough body checks after outdoor activities; remove attached ticks promptly with fine‑pointed tweezers, grasping close to the skin and pulling straight upward.
- Maintain yards by mowing grass, removing leaf litter, and creating buffer zones of wood chips between lawns and woodland.
- Use acaricide treatments on properties in high‑risk zones.
Other tick‑borne illnesses include Rocky Mountain spotted fever (Rickettsia rickettsii), ehrlichiosis (Ehrlichia chaffeensis), anaplasmosis (Anaplasma phagocytophilum), babesiosis (Babesia microti), and tick‑borne encephalitis virus. Each presents with distinct clinical patterns and requires specific diagnostic tests and antimicrobial regimens. Accurate identification of the responsible pathogen is essential for effective treatment.