What is the most common tick in Tennessee?

As many as 15 tick species live in Tennessee, but the four most common are the blacklegged tick, commonly called the “deer tick”; the Lone Star tick; the brown dog tick; and the American dog tick, sometimes called the “wood tick.”

How do I know what kind of tick I have?

The body shape, color, and ornamentation are unique to species and used in identification. Common features used to determine species are festoons (patterns along the outer edge of the abdomen), mouthpart shape and length, and dorsal shield adornment.

What ticks carry Lyme disease in Tennessee?

Lyme disease is a tick-borne disease caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. In Tennessee, it is transmitted by the Ixodes scapularis, also known as the black-legged or deer tick.

What tick-borne diseases are in Tennessee?

Ticks can transmit a number of different diseases (click here for a complete list), but the most common in Tennessee include Spotted Fever Rickettsiosis, ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, and anaplasmosis. The TN Department of Health’s Vector-Borne Diseases program tracks and responds to tick-borne diseases in our state.

How do you tell if a tick is a deer tick?

Examine the tick’s “scutum,” or shield.

A deer tick will have a solid-color scutum, while the shield of other ticks is patterned. The scutum can also provide information about the gender of the tick. The scutum of the adult male will cover most of the body, while that of the female will be much smaller.

How long does a tick need to be attached to transmit disease?

Ticks can attach to any part of the human body but are often found in hard-to-see areas such as the groin, armpits, and scalp. In most cases, the tick must be attached for 36 to 48 hours or more before the Lyme disease bacterium can be transmitted.

How long is tick season in TN?

In Tennessee the adults are most active in April, May, and June. By September the adults are inactive and are rarely observed. The American dog tick can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, and possibly ehrlichiosis to humans.

What is a deer tick look like?

Both male and female deer ticks have flat, oval bodies, and are not hard-shelled. Female deer ticks are orangish brown in color except for their legs, mouthparts, and scutum (shield). Unengorged, their abdomen is a dark reddish-brown color but becomes darker after feeding on a host.

Is there an app to identify ticks?

The Tick App also provides information on tick identification, tick removal and other prevention ideas. You can also submit ticks for identification by university staff. The Tick App was developed as part of a collaborative research study between the Midwest and Northeast Centers of Excellence in Vector-borne Disease.

What type of tick carries Lyme disease?

Lyme disease is transmitted by the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) in the northeastern U.S. and upper midwestern U.S. and the western blacklegged tick (Ixodes pacificus) along the Pacific coast.

What do ticks look like on skin?

A feeding tick looks like an engorged, oval-shaped bean stuck to your skin. Depending on it’s species, it can be black, brown, reddish-brown, gray, or yellow in color.

How can you tell how long a tick has been attached?

If the tick has a swollen or rounded body, and the color has changed from brick red to a gray or brown, is an indication that the tick has been feeding and may have been attached for more than 36 hours.

How soon do you need antibiotics after a tick bite?

The antibiotic can be given within 72 hours of tick removal. The bite occurs in a highly endemic area, meaning a place where Lyme disease is common.

What are the first signs of having Lyme disease?

Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system. Lyme disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, physical findings (e.g., rash), and the possibility of exposure to infected ticks.

Can you be cured from Lyme disease?

Although most cases of Lyme disease can be cured with a 2- to 4-week course of oral antibiotics, patients can sometimes have symptoms of pain, fatigue, or difficulty thinking that last for more than 6 months after they finish treatment. This condition is called ”Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome” (PTLDS).

How long after a tick bite do Lyme symptoms appear?

From three to 30 days after an infected tick bite, an expanding red area might appear that sometimes clears in the center, forming a bull’s-eye pattern. The rash (erythema migrans) expands slowly over days and can spread to 12 inches (30 centimeters) across.

What percentage of tick bites result in Lyme disease?

The chance of catching Lyme disease from an individual tick ranges from roughly zero to 50 percent. Risk of contracting Lyme disease from a tick bite depends on three factors: the tick species, where the tick came from, and how long it was biting you.

Should you put anything on a tick bite?

Put ice or a cold pack on the bite for 15 to 20 minutes once an hour. Put a thin cloth between the ice and your skin. Try an over-the-counter medicine to relieve itching, redness, swelling, and pain.

Can you prevent Lyme disease after a tick bite?

In areas that are highly endemic for Lyme disease, a single prophylactic dose of doxycycline (200 mg for adults or 4.4 mg/kg for children of any age weighing less than 45 kg) may be used to reduce the risk of acquiring Lyme disease after a high-risk tick bite.

How do you feel when you have Lyme disease?

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection you get from the bite of an infected tick. At first, Lyme disease usually causes symptoms such as a rash, fever, headache, and fatigue. But if it is not treated early, the infection can spread to your joints, heart, and nervous system. Prompt treatment can help you recover quickly.