# Tick Season Brings Seven Infections to Your Radar
Tick season is ramping up this summer, and infectious disease experts want patients to recognize seven infections these parasites can transmit.
The most well-known is Lyme disease, caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. A tick infected with this pathogen can transmit it within 24 to 48 hours of attachment. Early symptoms include a characteristic "bull's-eye" rash, fever, and joint pain. Left untreated, Lyme disease progresses to arthritis and neurological complications.
Beyond Lyme, doctors emphasize awareness of anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and Powassan virus. Anaplasmosis causes fever, headache, and muscle aches within one to two weeks of infection. Babesiosis mimics malaria symptoms and particularly threatens people with compromised immune systems. Powassan virus, transmitted by blacklegged ticks, can cause encephalitis and permanent neurological damage.
Three additional infections warrant attention. Rocky Mountain spotted fever, transmitted by American dog ticks, produces fever, rash, and headache and progresses rapidly without antibiotic treatment. Southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI) causes a rash similar to Lyme disease. Heartland virus, a newer threat identified in 2009, produces severe fever and low blood cell counts.
Prevention remains the first line of defense. The CDC recommends using insect repellent containing 20 to 30 percent DEET on exposed skin and clothing. Tucking pants into socks and wearing light-colored clothing helps spot ticks before they attach. After outdoor activities, shower within two hours and perform thorough skin checks, particularly in warm, moist areas like the groin and armpits.
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