Which of the following would include typhus, lyme disease, and rocky mountain spotted fever?

It's important for you and your family to be tick free!

Ticks can spread disease. Not all ticks can cause disease and not all bites will make you sick, but as these diseases become more common it's important to learn how to prevent a bite, how to remove a tick and what to do if you think you could have a tick-borne disease.

Lyme disease is the most common disease spread by ticks in New York but there are other serious diseases spread by ticks. And like Lyme, the other diseases will begin to spread to other regions across the state.

Protect Against and Prevent Disease

Deer ticks live in shady, moist areas at ground level. They will cling to tall grass, brush and shrubs, usually no more than 18-24 inches off the ground. They also live in lawns and gardens, especially at the edges of woods and around old stone walls.

Once a tick gets on the skin, it generally climbs upward until it reaches a protected area.

In tick-infested areas, your best protection is to avoid contact with soil, leaf litter and vegetation. However, if you garden, hike, camp, hunt, work or otherwise spend time in the outdoors, you can still protect yourself:

• Wear light-colored clothing with a tight weave to spot ticks easily.
• Wear enclosed shoes, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Tuck pant legs into socks or boots and shirt into pants.
• Check clothes and any exposed skin frequently for ticks while outdoors.
• Consider using insect repellent.
• Stay on cleared, well-traveled trails. Walk in the center of trails. Avoid dense woods and bushy areas.
• Avoid sitting directly on the ground or on stone walls.
• Keep long hair tied back, especially when gardening.
• Bathe or shower as soon as possible after going indoors (preferably within two hours) to wash off and more easily find ticks that may be on you.
• Do a final, full-body tick check at the end of the day (also check children and pets), and remove ticks promptly.

When to call a doctor after a tick bite

If you develop a rash or flu-like symptoms, contact your health care provider immediately. Although not routinely recommended, taking antibiotics within three days after a tick bite may be beneficial for some persons. This would apply to deer tick bites that occurred in areas where Lyme disease is common and there is evidence that the tick fed for more than one day. In cases like this you should discuss the possibilities with your doctor or licensed health care provider.

Ticks that carry disease in NYS

Additional resources

• New York State Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Working Group
• Tick-borne diseases educational materials order form
• Tickborne Diseases of the United States
• Symptoms of Tickborne Illness
• Tickborne Diseases of the United States: A Reference Manual for Health Care Providers
• Ticks Information
• Petsandparasites.org
• Tickencounter.org
• Tick-borne Diseases In the New York City Area

Ticks are most active in the warmer months of spring and summer and can transmit a variety of diseases, including anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, spotted fever rickettsiosis, tick-borne relapsing fever and tularemia. Clinical signs and symptoms of anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis are non-specific and typically include fever, headache, muscle aches, and fatigue. Lyme disease, the most frequently diagnosed tick-borne illness in the United States, is not commonly acquired in Texas (Texas is considered a low incidence state for Lyme disease). Infection may cause skin lesions or rash, fever, fatigue, headache, muscle and joint aches, and, in some cases, if left untreated, severe damage to the joints, heart, and nervous system. Rocky Mountain spotted fever, one of several related diseases known as spotted fever group rickettsioses, is typically characterized by fever and a measles-like rash and can cause serious illness and even death if not treated quickly. Tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF), which is often associated with cave exploration or sleeping in rustic cabins, can cause recurring bouts of fever, headache, muscle and joint aches, and nausea. Lyme disease and TBRF symptoms can be very similar, and TBRF patients may test positive for Lyme disease. Signs and symptoms of tularemia can vary widely depending on the route of exposure, but typically they are non-specific and may include fever, malaise, skin lesions, and swollen lymph nodes. Tularemia can also be transmitted directly through handling infected animals, particularly wild rabbits and rodents, or through exposure to mud or water containing the bacteria.

• Anaplasmosis
• Ehrlichiosis
• Lyme Disease
• Spotted Fever Group Rickettsioses including Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
• Tick-borne Relapsing Fever
• Tularemia
• Tick Submission and Testing

For information on ticks, tick attachment, and tick bites, please contact your Regional Zoonosis Control office or email .

Last updated August 17, 2022

Which of the following are examples of a reservoir in the chain of infection?

Which of the following stages of infectious disease includes general complaints such as malaise and fever?

Which of the following is a characteristic of Rickettsia?

Which of the following is a pathogen?