Lyme disease, and the blacklegged (“deer”) tick that is its common carrier, has gotten our full attention over the past thirty years, and for good reason: the U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimate there are now about 300,000 reported cases of Lyme disease in the U.S. each year. When left untreated, Lyme disease brings significant health risks. This is why it’s paramount to ensure you know the various treatment of ticks in the case of any eventuality.
But tick-borne illnesses are not limited to Lyme disease, and the list of those illnesses has grown over the past several years. The CDC now reports 16 different tick-borne pathogens affecting humans, a handful of which have been discovered in the last several years, with one found as recently as summer 2017. Here are some of the diseases found in our SavaTree service areas:
- AnaplasmosisTransmitted primarily by the blacklegged tick in the northeastern and upper midwestern U.S.
- Babesiosis Caused by microscopic parasites that infect red blood cells, and transmitted by the blacklegged tick; found primarily in the northeast and upper midwest.
- Borrelia mayoniiNewly-identified bacterial species that has caused illness in the upper midwestern United States; was found in blacklegged ticks in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The only pathogen besides burgdorferiknown to cause Lyme disease in North America.
- Borrelia miyamotoiTransmitted by the blacklegged tick; geographic range similar to that of Lyme disease.
- Bourbon virusIdentified in small number of patients in the midwest and southern United States as of June 2017; believed to be transmitted by the lone star tick.
- Colorado tick feverTransmitted by the Rocky Mountain wood tick; occurs in the Rocky Mountain states at elevations of 4,000 to 10,500 feet.
- EhrlichiosisTransmitted by the lone star tick; found primarily in the southcentral and eastern U.S.
- Lyme diseaseCaused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia mayonii transmitted by the blacklegged tick in the northeastern and upper midwestern U.S., and the western blacklegged tick along the Pacific coast.
- Powassan diseaseTransmitted by the blacklegged tick and the groundhog tick; small number of cases reported primarily in the northeastern and Great Lakes regions.
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF)Transmitted by the American dog tick, Rocky Mountain wood tick, and the brown dog tick; found throughout the U.S.
- STARI (Southern tick-associated rash illness)Transmitted via bites from the lone star tick; found in the southeastern and eastern U.S.
- Tickborne relapsing fever (TBRF)Transmitted through the bite of infected soft ticks; reported in 15 western states, including Colorado.
- Tularemia Transmitted by the dog tick, the wood tick, and the lone star tick; occurs throughout the U.S.
While many tick-borne illnesses are treatable when found early, the best way to protect your family and pets from these pathogens is to shrink the tick population on your property. SavATree organic tick treatments kill ticks on contact, provide residual tick control that lasts up to 30 days, and use a natural solution that is friendly to humans and pets.
For more information about tick-borne illnesses, go to www.cdc.gov/ticks.
