Tick-borne disease
| Tick-borne diseases | |
 | |
|---|---|
| An eschar suggestive of tick bite |
For patient information click here
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Diagnosis
Symptoms
Before symptoms develop, there is an incubation period of 5 to 7 days after the initial tick bite. The most common symptoms of tick bite fever include fever, headache, and an itchy skin rash with a central black spot. Other symptoms can vary in severity and include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Malaise
- Skin rash
- Confusion
- Arthralgias or swelling and pain in the joints
- Shortness of breath
- Palpitations
- Vomiting
Physical examination
A round red rash with a 2-5 mm central black area (eschar, an area of dead tissue)as shown in the photo is suggestive of a tick bite.
Laboratory findings
In general, specific laboratory tests are not available to rapidly diagnose tick-borne diseases.
Treatment
If there is a collection of pus, the area will need to be incised and drained. Antibiotic treatment is often justified based on clinical presentation alone. Doxycycline is often used to treat suspected tick borne-disease. Usually one dose is given to cover Lyme disase. An IV dose of a cephalosporin followed by Keflex 500 mg PO q 6 hours is given to treat the surrounding cellulitus. For hospital workers and others who have recently been in the hospital, bactrim twice a day is given to cover Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus Aureus(MRSA).