Dermatoses from ticks

J Am Acad Dermatol. 2003 Sep;49(3):363-92; quiz 393-6. doi: 10.1067/s0190-9622(03)01868-1.

Abstract

Ticks are ectoparasites that cause dermatologic disease directly by their bite and indirectly as vectors of bacterial, rickettsial, protozoal, and viral diseases. In North America, where ticks are the leading cause of vector-borne infection, dermatologists should recognize several tick species. Basic tick biology and identification will be reviewed. Tick bites cause a variety of acute and chronic skin lesions. The tick-borne diseases include Lyme disease, tick-borne relapsing fever, tularemia, babesiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, other spotted fevers, ehrlichiosis, Colorado tick fever, and others. The epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of these diseases are reviewed with an emphasis on cutaneous manifestations. Finally, the prevention of diseases caused by ticks is reviewed.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Acute Disease
  • Animals
  • Babesiosis / diagnosis
  • Babesiosis / epidemiology
  • Chronic Disease
  • Comorbidity
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Disease Vectors*
  • Education, Medical, Continuing
  • Ehrlichiosis / diagnosis
  • Ehrlichiosis / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lyme Disease / diagnosis
  • Lyme Disease / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Prognosis
  • Relapsing Fever / diagnosis
  • Relapsing Fever / epidemiology
  • Risk Assessment
  • Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever / diagnosis
  • Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever / epidemiology
  • Skin Diseases / diagnosis
  • Skin Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Skin Diseases / parasitology
  • Tick-Borne Diseases / diagnosis
  • Tick-Borne Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Ticks / classification*
  • Tularemia / diagnosis
  • Tularemia / epidemiology
  • United States / epidemiology