Tick-Borne Diseases

⭐️ Disclaimer: This page is intended to increase awareness and should not be used as a source for medical advice or diagnosis. If you think you have a tick-borne disease, seek a medical professional's guidance for appropriate assistance!

Bacteria, viruses, or parasites transmitted by ticks are called "tick-borne pathogens" and they can cause "tick-borne diseases". When a tick bites a person or pet, infection can occur depending on whether that tick was carrying a tick-borne pathogen and how long the tick was embedded. It's essential to recognize the signs and symptoms of common tick-borne diseases in New Jersey and seek medical attention as soon as possible after a tick bite if you suspect an infection.

The most common symptoms of a tick-borne disease are non-specific flu-like symptoms, such as fever, tiredness, headache, joint pain, and muscle aches. Symptoms may develop within a few days to several months after the initial tick bite. This makes them hard to differentiate from other illnesses. Some tick-borne diseases are associated with a rash, but not all people will develop the rash. Some people do not become sick after being infected with a tick-borne pathogen.

Note: It is possible to have more than one tick-borne illness simultaneously. This is either because the tick was infected with more than one pathogen or you were potentially bitten by multiple ticks.

Common Tick-Borne Diseases in New Jersey

Anaplasmosis
Associated with the blacklegged tick
Dogs can also contract this disease
Babesiosis
Associated with the blacklegged tick
Dogs can also contract this disease
Ehrlichiosis
Associated with the lone star tick and Gulf Coast tick
Dogs can also contract this disease
Lyme Disease
Associated with the blacklegged tick
Dogs can also contract this disease
Spotted Fever Group Rickettsioses (SFGR)
It is not well understood which tick species transmits this in New Jersey but it may be associated with the American dog tick, lone star tick, brown dog tick, or Gulf Coast tick
Dogs can also contract this disease
engorged tick
This photo shows blacklegged ticks at different stages of feeding. On the left is an unfed tick, and to the right are ticks at different levels of engorgement - the rightmost tick was likely blood feeding for at least 2 days. The longer a tick feeds, the greater chance of it transmitting a pathogen (photo credit Jim Occi, PhD).

Emerging Tick-Borne Diseases in New Jersey

Tick populations in New Jersey are changing in distribution and abundance, so there may also be new and undetected tick-borne diseases in the state. It's vital to identify ticks and potential pathogens in New Jersey, and that's why we encourage you to submit any and all ticks to NJ Ticks 4 Science! While this page highlights common, emerging, and future tick-borne diseases that could affect New Jersey residents, there are rising cases of tick-borne disease all over the United States. As citizen scientists, becoming educated on your surroundings and pathogens will keep you and your loved ones safe when enjoying the outdoors!

Emerging New Jersey Tick-borne Diseases
Powassan Virus
Associated with the blacklegged tick and groundhog tick
Southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI)
Associated with the lone star tick and Gulf Coast tick
Borrelia miyamotoi disease
Associated with the blacklegged tick.
Heartland Virus
Associated with the lone star tick.
Alpha-gal syndrome
Associated with the lone star tick. Allergy to red meat.
engorged tick
Above: From left to right, adult female, larva, and nymph lone star ticks, unfed. Below: engorged lone star ticks after blood feeding for an increasing number of hours (photo credit Jim Occi, PhD).

For the New Jersey list of communicable diseases spread by ticks (and mosquitoes), visit the New Jersey Department of Health’s website Fight the Bite, NJ!.

For a further list of the tick-borne diseases in the United States and specific descriptions of each condition, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website on Diseases Transmitted by Ticks.

Emerging Tick-Borne Diseases in Domesticated Animals

Cytauxzoonosis
Associated with the lone star tick, and affects domestic cats.
Summarized here
American Canine Hepatozoonosis (ACH)
Associated with dog ingesting an infected Gulf Coast tick.
Summarized here
Theileriosis
Associated with the Asian longhorned tick, and affects domesticated cattle.
Summarized here
dog
Applying tick preventative to a dog (photo credit CDC Tick Image Gallery).
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