A bite from an infected tick can cause illnesses such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever or ehrlichiosis. While many tick species prefer attaching to an animal and staying there, this variety, common throughout the south and central United States, readily feeds on human blood. The most frequently diagnosed tick-borne problem in the country, Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that can cause skin, joint, heart and nervous system problems. Named after the town of Lyme in Connecticut where it was first described in 1976, the disease initially causes flu-like symptoms such as fatigue, headache, fever, stiff neck and joint pain. Sometimes these symptoms come with skin lesions or rashes, usually around the site of the bite.
Treatment is with antibiotics.
Untreated, however, the disease may severely damage joints, the heart and the nervous system. About 1,100 other cases are possibly Lyme disease. Rocky Mountain spotted fever can be deadly if not treated quickly. Symptoms resemble flu with headaches, muscle aches and high fever along with a rash. Symptoms of ehrlichiosis, which was first recognized about 12 years ago, also are flu-like.