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American Dog Tick (Eastern US)
Dermacentor variabilis
Location: Eastern US
Disease(s): Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Tularemia
Symptoms: Fever, rash, headache, GI distress
Diagnosis: PCR, serology, skin biopsy
Treatment: Doxycycline, antibiotics
American Dog Tick (Western US)
Dermacentor similis
Location: Western US, California
Disease(s): Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Tularemia
Symptoms: Fever, rash, headache, GI distress
Diagnosis: PCR, serology, skin biopsy
Treatment: Doxycycline, antibiotics
Asian Longhorned Tick
Haemaphysalis longicornis
Location: US (recent), Asia
Disease(s): Possible Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF), Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS) (in Asia)
Symptoms: Fever, bleeding, multi-organ issues
Diagnosis: Serology, PCR
Treatment: Supportive care
Blacklegged Deer or Bear Tick
Ixodes scapularis
Location: Northeast, Midwest, DE
Disease(s): Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Bartonella, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme Disease, Powassan Virus Disease
Symptoms: Fever, fatigue, joint pain, neurological, heart symptoms
Diagnosis: ELISA, Western blot, PCR, blood smear (Babesia)
Treatment: Doxycycline, Atovaquone + Azithromycin
Brown Dog Tick
Rhipicephalus sanguineus
Location: Entire US, Mexico border
Disease(s): Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Symptoms: Fever, rash, GI, fatigue, severe complications
Diagnosis: Serology, skin biopsy
Treatment: Doxycycline
Gulf Coast Tick
Amblyomma maculatum
Location: East and Southeast US
Disease(s): Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis
Symptoms: Fever, muscle pain, rash, scab at bite site
Diagnosis: PCR, serology
Treatment: Doxycycline
Lone Star Tick
Amblyomma americanum
Location: Southeast US
Disease(s): Alpha-gal, Bartonella, Bourbon virus, Ehrlichiosis, Heartland virus, Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI) aka Master’s Disease, Tularemia
Symptoms: Meat allergy, flu-like, rash, GI issues
Diagnosis: IgE blood test, PCR, symptom-based
Treatment: Doxycycline, allergy management
Rocky Mountain Wood Tick
Dermacentor andersoni
Location: Western US
Disease(s): Colorado Tick Fever, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Symptoms: Fever, rash, headache, GI distress
Diagnosis: Blood test, PCR test
Treatment: Doxycycline; none for Colorado tick fever (virus)
Western Blacklegged Tick
Ixodes pacificus
Location: Western US, California
Disease(s): Lyme, Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Powassan
Symptoms: Fever, fatigue, joint pain, neurological, heart symptoms
Diagnosis: ELISA, Western blot, PCR, blood smear (Babesia)
Treatment: Doxycycline, Atovaquone + Azithromycin