Tick-Borne Diseases

Wesley Eilbert; Andrew Matella

doi:10.1016/j.emc.2024.01.004

Tick-Borne Diseases

Emerg Med Clin North Am. 2024 May;42(2):287-302. doi: 10.1016/j.emc.2024.01.004. Epub 2024 Feb 29.

Authors

Wesley Eilbert¹, Andrew Matella²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, College of Medicine, Room 469, COME, 1819 West Polk Street, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. Electronic address: weilbert@uic.edu.
² Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, College of Medicine, Room 469, COME, 1819 West Polk Street, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.

PMID: 38641392
DOI: 10.1016/j.emc.2024.01.004

Abstract

Ticks are responsible for the vast majority of vector-borne illnesses in the United States. The number of reported tick-borne disease (TBD) cases has more than doubled in the past 20 years. The majority of TBD cases occur in warm weather months in individuals with recent outdoor activities in wooded areas. The risk of contracting a TBD is also highly dependent on geographic location. Between 24 and 48 hours of tick attachment is required for most disease transmission to occur. Only 50% to 70% of patients with a TBD will recall being bitten by a tick, and TBDs are often initially misdiagnosed as a viral illness. Most TBDs are easily treated when diagnosed early in their course.

Keywords: Babesiosis; Ehrlichiosis; Lyme disease; Rocky Mountain spotted fever; Tick borne diseases; Tick borne illnesses; Tularemia; Vector borne illnesses.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Ehrlichiosis* / diagnosis
Ehrlichiosis* / therapy
Humans
Tick-Borne Diseases* / diagnosis
Tick-Borne Diseases* / epidemiology
Tick-Borne Diseases* / therapy
Ticks*
United States / epidemiology