Ticks and Tickborne Illnesses

Diseases spread by ticks are an increasing concern in Ohio and are being reported to the Ohio Department of Health more frequently in the past decade.

Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever are the most common, but tickborne diseases such as Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis and Ehrlichiosis are also on the rise. Though rare, diseases such as Tularemia, Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI), and Powassan Virus may also be carried by Ohio ticks.

In Ohio, tickborne illnesses are most often transmitted between early spring and late fall since ticks are most active during warm months. The best way to prevent tickborne diseases is to prevent tick bites.

Important Actions to Take for Tick Bite Prevention:

PROTECT against tick bites:

• Avoid areas where ticks live
• Use tick repellents
• Cover up to keep ticks off your body

CHECK for ticks:

• Do not let ticks inadvertently come inside on your clothing
• Check your entire body for ticks

REMOVE ticks as soon as you can:

• Use a removal method that is proven to work

WATCH for symptoms:

• The most common symptoms of tick-related illnesses are fever / chills, aches, and pains, and rash
• Mild symptoms can often be treated at home, while severe infections will likely require hospitalization

If you think you have a tick bite and are experiencing symptoms, please call your TriHealth primary care physician as soon as possible, or visit your nearest TriHealth priority care location.

Interesting Tick Facts to Know:

• Ticks find their hosts by detecting breath or body odors, or by sensing body heat, moisture, and vibrations. Ticks pick a place to wait for a host, resting on the tips of grasses and shrubs until they are brushed against.

• Ticks have a barbed beak called a Hypostome. A tick sticks its Hypostome into you when it bites, and the tick secretes an anesthetic (a pain reliever) and an anticoagulant (a substance that stops the blood from clotting) to keep from being noticed.

• A tick must bite and become attached to your skin for at least 24-hours before it can pass on the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.

• Deer ticks have a dark scutum (like a dot or shield) behind their head and are more common in the spring and fall. Dog ticks have a white scutum (or white “racing stripes”) down their back and are more common in the summer. Deer ticks transmit Lyme disease and other diseases while dog ticks do not.

• Ticks are not insects, although they are often mistaken for them. Ticks are actually classified as arachnids, or relatives of spiders, scorpions, and mites.

• Ticks suck blood anywhere from minutes to days, depending on the tick species. If the host animal has a bloodborne infection, the tick will ingest the pathogens with the blood.

_References:

_{Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Maine Tracking Network. (n.d.). Tickborne Diseases. Retrieved April 24, 2025, from https://data.mainepublichealth.gov/tickborne.}

_{Ohio Department of Health. (n.d.). Be TICK Smart. Retrieved April 11, 2025, from https://odh.ohio.gov/know-our-programs/zoonotic-disease-program/diseases/tickborne-diseases.}

_{U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). About Ticks and Tickborne Disease. Retrieved April 24, 2025, from https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/about/index.html.}