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Lone Star Tick - Amblyomma americanum
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the lone star
tick is a concern, but not for Lyme disease. A rash similar to the rash of
Lyme disease has been described in humans following bites of the lone star
tick. The rash may be accompanied by fatigue, fever, headache, muscle and
joint pains. This condition has been named southern tick-associated rash
illness (STARI). [2]
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Adult Female Lone Star Tick
| Recent media reports have generated some
confusion about the lone star tick and its relationship to
Lyme disease.
The lone star tick does not transmit Lyme disease. Patients
bitten by lone star ticks will occasionally develop a
circular rash similar to the rash of early Lyme disease. The
cause of this rash has not been determined; however, studies
have shown that is not caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, the
bacterium that causes Lyme disease. The rash may be
accompanied by fatigue, headache, fever, and muscle and
joint pains. This condition has been named southern
tick-associated rash illness (STARI). In the cases of STARI
studied to date, the rash and accompanying symptoms have
resolved following treatment with oral antibiotics. STARI
has not been linked to any arthritic, neurological, or
chronic symptoms.
[2] |
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"Lone Star" |
The lone star tick,
Amblyomma americanum, is found throughout
the southeastern and south-central states. The
distribution, range and abundance of the lone
star tick have increased over the past 20-30
years, and lone star ticks have been recorded in
large numbers as far north as Maine and as far
west as central Texas and Oklahoma. All three
life stages (larva, nymph, adult) of the lone
star tick will feed on humans, and may be quite
aggressive. Lone star ticks will also feed
readily on other animals, including dogs and
cats, and may be brought into the home on pets.
The saliva from lone star ticks can be
irritating; redness and discomfort at a bite
site does not necessarily indicate an infection.
Tick-borne illness may be prevented by avoiding
tick habitat (dense woods and brushy areas),
using insect repellents containing DEET or
permethrin, wearing long pants and socks, and
performing tick checks and promptly removing
ticks after outdoor activity. Persons should
monitor their health closely after any tick
bite, and should consult their physician if they
experience a rash, fever, headache, joint or
muscle pains, or swollen lymph nodes within 30
days of a tick bite.
CDC is conducting studies to learn more about
STARI. Physicians seeing patients with a recent
lone star tick bite and an expanding rash at
least 5 centimeters in diameter are encouraged
to contact CDC at 970-221-6400 for more
information. Patients must be at least 4 years
old to participate.
[1]
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The rash of STARI is a red, expanding
bulls eye lesion that develops around the
site of a lone star tick bite. The rash
usually appears within 7 days of tick bite
and expands to a diameter of 8 centimeters
(3 inches) or more. The rash should not be
confused with much smaller areas of redness
and discomfort that can occur commonly at
tick bite sites. Unlike Lyme disease, STARI
has not been linked to any arthritic,
neurological, or chronic symptoms.
The cause of STARI is unknown. Studies have
shown that is not caused by Borrelia
burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme
disease. Another spirochete, Borrelia
lonestari, was detected in the skin of one
patient and the lone star tick that bit him.
However, subsequent study of over two dozen
STARI patients has found no evidence of B.
lonestari infection. In the cases of STARI
studied to date, the rash and accompanying
symptoms have resolved promptly following
treatment with oral antibiotics.
STARI is specifically associated with bites
of Amblyomma americanum, known commonly as
the lone star tick. Lone star ticks can be
found from central Texas and Oklahoma
eastward across the southern states and
along the Atlantic coast as far north as
Maine. The adult female is distinguished by
a white dot or “lone star” on her back. All
three life stages of A. americanum
aggressively bite people.
In general, tick-borne illness may be
prevented by avoiding tick habitat (dense
woods and brushy areas), using insect
repellents containing DEET or permethrin,
wearing long pants and socks, and performing
tick checks and promptly removing ticks
after outdoor activity. Persons should
monitor their health closely after any tick
bite, and should consult a physician if they
experience a rash, fever, headache, joint or
muscle pains, or swollen lymph nodes within
30 days of a tick bite. In most
circumstances, treating persons who only
have a tick bite is not recommended.
[1]
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Photo courtesy Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention |
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American Dog Tick, Dermacentor variabilis
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Ticks have flattened bodies
designed to fit into small cracks and crevices -
advice to "tuck your pants into your socks" is
ludicrous on its face; ticks will crawl under
your clothing at will. I have found deet-based
insect repellents marginally effective at
keeping them off me. I cannot speak for flea and
tick dog collars or the like, I have not a dog.
I can tell you this: if you go into the weeds at
the Winfield Mounds Forest Preserve in Winfield,
Illinois during the months of April and May, you
will have dog ticks on you when you come out.
Deer ticks
(not shown) can carry Lyme disease, the most commonly diagnosed tick-borne bacterial disease in the United States. It has also become a veterinary problem, believed to cause joint-related problems in animals (dogs and horses, mostly) exposed to the Lyme bacteria. Lyme disease was first reported in Connecticut in 1975, and is named after the town of Lyme in which the disease was first observed.
References:
1. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention,
Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness
2. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention,
Lone Star Tick a Concern, but Not for Lyme
Disease
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