Tick Fever Diagnosis & Tests

Ticks transmit a variety of serious illnesses.

Ticks can transmit several diseases to humans that can lead to serious illness if not treated. Most of these diseases cause fevers early on, which are an important warning signal for getting treatment.

Types of Tick-Borne Illnesses

Common tick-borne illnesses include Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis. All of these diseases share some similar symptoms, which makes it difficult to distinguish between them. These symptoms include rash, fever, muscle or joint pain and headache. If you suspect you have contracted a tick-borne illness, it is best to go to a doctor for diagnosis.

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a sever rickettsial illness transmitted by dog and wood ticks. Initial symptoms include fever, nausea and vomiting, headache, muscle pain and lack of appetite. Later symptoms may include rash, abdominal and joint pain and diarrhea. A doctor may diagnose Rocky Mountain spotted fever based on these signs and symptoms as well as additional blood tests to look for decreased levels of platelets, low blood sodium and high liver enzyme levels. The illness can be treated with antibiotics. If left untreated it can be fatal.

Ehrlichiosis

Ehrlichiosis is a bacterial illness transmitted primarily by the lone star tick, a type of tick mostly found in the southern, eastern and south-central United States. Signs of ehrlichiosis will usually appear within 1 to 2 weeks of a tick bite and include muscle and joint pain, headaches, nausea and vomiting, mild fever, diarrhea, cough, fatigue and occasionally a rash. A diagnosis can be made based on signs and symptoms and additional blood tests that check for low white blood cell and platelet count and elevated liver enzymes. Ehrlichiosis can be treated with antibiotics. If left untreated it can lead to serious complications including kidney or respiratory failure, seizures and coma.

Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is spread through the bite of the deer tick. Deer ticks are very small compared to other species and thus may be hard to find. The first sign of Lyme disease is typically a circular rash that occurs within a month of infection at the site of the bite. The rash may grow over several days. Other symptoms include fatigue, fever, chills, joint pain and swollen lymph nodes. If left untreated, other symptoms may develop including neck stiffness, Bell's palsy, dizziness, shooting pains and increasing joint pain finally developing into arthritis and swollen joints. Lyme disease can be diagnosed based on signs and symptoms as well as blood tests that look for specific antibodies made in response to the disease. It can usually be cured with antibiotics.

Anaplasmosis

Anaplasmosis is most commonly transmitted by the blacklegged tick in the United States. Early signs include flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, headaches and muscle aches. Anaplasmosis can be hard to diagnose because the symptoms are similar to other tick-borne illnesses such as ehrlichiosis. Diagnosis can be made based upon symptoms as well as blood tests that look for low white blood cell and platelet count, elevated liver enzymes and the presence of specific antibodies. It can be treated by antibiotics. If left untreated, the disease can be fatal.

References

• American Lyme Disease Foundation: Anaplasmosis
• "First Aid - Responding to Emergencies"; American Red Cross; 2005.
• The Mayo Clinic: Ehrlichiosis

Resources

• Center for Disease Control and Prevention: Tick-Borne Diseases