What you need to know
- Some ticks carry dangerous diseases that can cause long-term health problems or even death.
- As global temperatures rise, ticks are spreading into new regions and putting more communities at risk.
- If a tick bites you, remove it with tweezers right away, then watch for symptoms like a rash, fever, or body aches.
Ticks are tiny parasites that typically feed on the blood of mammals, birds, and other animals. They live in many parts of the world, and some species can spread serious diseases. While most tick bites do not lead to illness, climate change is creating conditions that help ticks thrive—providing more opportunities for risky bites and infections.
Here’s what to know about symptoms and how to protect yourself.
How do ticks spread disease?
A tick latches onto a host—like a deer, bird, or person—and feeds on its blood through the skin. It can stay attached for hours or even days.
Not every tick carries germs. But in those that do, their saliva can contain bacteria, viruses, or parasites that enter the body while they feed.
What types of diseases can ticks spread?
Ticks can spread several illnesses, and most can be treated with medication when caught early. The most common tickborne disease in the U.S. is Lyme disease, a bacterial infection that can cause arthritis, brain swelling, or heart problems. In the U.S., about 476,000 people are treated for it each year. Early symptoms often include a rash that looks like a bullseye, fatigue, fever, headache, joint pain, and swollen lymph nodes.
Some tickborne diseases can be fatal if not treated quickly, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever (a bacterial infection), Powassan virus (which kills one in 10 people who develop severe symptoms), and babesiosis (a parasite that infects red blood cells). Older adults and people with weakened immune systems may face a higher risk of severe illness.
“Most [tickborne] diseases can lead to a variety of long-term health problems if not diagnosed and treated,” Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, tells Public Good News. “In up to 15 percent of patients with Lyme disease, musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and cognitive difficulties can persist for months or years, even after treatment (called post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome).”
A tick bite can also trigger other long-term health impacts, too, like alpha-gal syndrome, a lifelong allergy to red meat and some dairy products.
Why are tickborne diseases increasingly common?
Ticks are most active in warm months, typically April through September. But climate change is creating longer warm seasons and fewer hard freezes, allowing ticks to survive in more places and longer each year. As a result, more people are coming into contact with them.
What are the signs of a tickborne disease?
Common early symptoms of a tickborne disease may include:
- Rash
- Fever or chills
- Body aches
- Fatigue
What should I do if a tick bites me?
If you find a tick attached to your skin, remove it as soon as possible. The safest way to remove a tick is to grasp it with fine-tipped tweezers as close to the skin as possible. Then, pull the tick away from the skin without twisting.
Avoid crushing the tick with your fingers. Dispose of it by wrapping it in tape and throwing it away, flushing it down the toilet, or placing it in rubbing alcohol.
Clean the bite area with soap and water and watch for symptoms over the next several weeks.
If symptoms develop after spending time in a wooded or grassy area or after a confirmed or suspected tick bite, talk to a health care provider.
“The next steps may be further testing (e.g., antibody tests) and treatment with antibiotics [for a bacterial infection],” Chin-Hong says.
How can I prevent tickborne diseases?
Preventing tick bites is the best way to protect against tickborne diseases:
- Avoid wooded or grassy areas, and keep your pets out of these areas.
- If you plan to spend time outside, especially in areas with lots of trees and tall grass, wear long sleeves, long pants, tall socks, and a hat.
- Treat your outdoor clothing and shoes with permethrin, a long-lasting tick repellent for fabrics.
- Check yourself and your pets for ticks after outdoor activities. Remember that ticks can be very small and may hide behind knees, in armpits, on the scalp, or on pets’ ears and paws.
- Remove ticks as soon as possible.
For more information about symptoms or prevention, talk to your health care provider.