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Tickborne Diseases of the United States


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Tick ID					minus icon
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			HomeTick IDOverview of Tickborne DiseasesLyme DiseaseTickborne Relapsing Fever (TBRF)Hard Tick Relapsing FeverAnaplasmosisEhrlichiosisRocky Mountain Spotted FeverRickettsia parkeri RickettsiosisTularemiaBabesiosisHeartland and Bourbon Virus DiseasesColorado Tick FeverPowassan Virus DiseaseTickborne Diseases AbroadTick Bites/PreventionLyme Disease Prophylaxis After Tick Bite					Related Pages
										Blacklegged Tick**BLACKLEGGED TICK** *Ixodes scapularis***WHERE FOUND** Widely distributed across the eastern United States.**TRANSMITS** *Borrelia burgdorferi* and *B. mayonii* (which cause Lyme disease), *Anaplasma phagocytophilum* (anaplasmosis), *B. miyamotoi* disease (a form of relapsing fever), *Ehrlichia muris eauclairensis* (ehrlichiosis), *Babesia microti* (babesiosis), and Powassan virus (Powassan virus disease).**COMMENTS** The greatest risk of being bitten exists in the spring, summer, and fall in the Northeast, Upper Midwest and mid-Atlantic. However, adult ticks may be out searching for a host any time winter temperatures are above freezing. All life stages bite humans, but nymphs and adult females are most commonly found on people.Lone Star Tick**LONE STAR TICK** *Amblyomma americanum***WHERE FOUND** Widely distributed in the eastern United States, but more common in the South.**TRANSMITS** *Ehrlichia chaffeensis* and *E. ewingii* (which cause human ehrlichiosis), *Francisella tularensis* (tularemia), Heartland virus (Heartland virus disease), Bourbon virus (Bourbon virus disease), and Southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI).**COMMENTS** The greatest risk of being bitten exists in early spring through late fall. A very aggressive tick that bites humans. The adult female is distinguished by a white dot or “lone star” on her back. The nymph and adult females most frequently bite humans. Growing evidence suggests that alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) may be triggered by the bite of lone star ticks; however, other tick species have not been ruled out.American Dog Tick**AMERICAN DOG TICK** *Dermacentor variabilis, D. similis***WHERE FOUND***D. variabilis* is widely distributed east of the Rocky Mountains. Newly described *D. similis* is found west of the Rocky Mountains. More research is needed to understand the role of these species in disease transmission.**TRANSMITS** *Francisella tularensis* (tularemia) and *Rickettsia rickettsii* (Rocky Mountain spotted fever).**COMMENTS** The greatest risk of being bitten occurs during spring and summer. Adult females are most likely to bite humans.Brown Dog Tick**BROWN DOG TICK** *Rhipicephalus sanguineus***WHERE FOUND** Worldwide.**TRANSMITS** *Rickettsia rickettsii* (Rocky Mountain spotted fever). Primary vector for *R. rickettsii* transmission in the southwestern United States and along the U.S.-Mexico border.**COMMENTS** Dogs are the primary host for the brown dog tick in each of its life stages, but the tick may also bite humans or other mammals.Groundhog Tick**GROUNDHOG TICK** *Ixodes cookei***WHERE FOUND** Throughout the eastern half of the United States.**TRANSMITS** Powassan virus (Powassan virus disease).**COMMENTS** Also called woodchuck ticks. All life stages feed on a variety of warm-blooded animals, including groundhogs, skunks, squirrels, raccoons, foxes, weasels, and occasionally people and domestic animals. Photo courtesy of Steve Jacobs, PSU EntomologyGulf Coast Tick**GULF COAST TICK** *Amblyomma maculatum***WHERE FOUND** Distributed primarily in the southeastern United States, with focal populations in the northeastern, midwestern, and southeastern United States.**TRANSMITS** *R. parkeri* (*R. parkeri* rickettsiosis), a form of spotted fever.**COMMENTS** Larvae and nymphs feed on birds and small rodents, while adult ticks feed on deer and other wildlife. Adult ticks have been associated with transmission of *R. parkeri* to humans.Rocky Mountain Wood Tick**ROCKY MOUNTAIN WOOD TICK** *Dermacentor andersoni***WHERE FOUND** Rocky Mountain states.**TRANSMITS** *Rickettsia rickettsii* (Rocky Mountain spotted fever), Colorado tick fever virus (Colorado tick fever), and *Francisella tularensis* (tularemia).**COMMENTS** Adult ticks feed primarily on large mammals. Larvae and nymphs feed on small rodents. Adult ticks are primarily associated with pathogen transmission to humans.Soft Tick**SOFT TICK** *Ornithodoros* spp.**WHERE FOUND** Throughout the western half of the United States, including Texas.**TRANSMITS** *Borrelia hermsii*, *B. turicatae* (tick-borne relapsing fever [TBRF]).**COMMENTS** Humans typically come into contact with soft ticks in rustic cabins. The ticks emerge at night and feed briefly while people are sleeping. Most people are unaware that they have been bitten. In Texas, TBRF may be associated with cave exposure.*O. hermsi* tick, before and after feeding. Photo taken by Gary Hettrick RML, NIAID.Western Blacklegged Tick**WESTERN BLACKLEGGED TICK** *Ixodes pacificus***WHERE FOUND** In the Pacific Coast states.**TRANSMITS** *Anaplasma phagocytophilum* (anaplasmosis), *B. burgdorferi* (Lyme disease), and very likely *B. miyamotoi* (*Borrelia miyamotoi* disease, a form of relapsing fever).**COMMENTS** Larvae and nymphs often feed on lizards, birds, and rodents, and adults more commonly feed on deer. Although all life stages bite humans, nymphs and adult females are more often reported on humans.Ticks That Commonly Bite Humans

Ticks that commonly bite humans showing relative sizes compared to a dime coin of several ticks at different life stages
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						Page last reviewed:  August 5, 2022					Content source: 	Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID), Division of Vector-Borne Diseases (DVBD) homeTickborne Diseases of the United StatesTick IDOverview of Tickborne DiseasesLyme DiseaseTickborne Relapsing Fever (TBRF)Hard Tick Relapsing FeverAnaplasmosisEhrlichiosisRocky Mountain Spotted Fever*Rickettsia parkeri*RickettsiosisTularemiaBabesiosisHeartland and Bourbon Virus DiseasesColorado Tick FeverPowassan Virus DiseaseTickborne Diseases AbroadTick Bites/PreventionLyme Disease Prophylaxis After Tick Bite


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