Know these tick species to stay safe on the outside



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Ticks are better known for catching you in the woods, sucking your blood and spreading Lyme disease – but not all ticks are alike. There are different species living in different areas and all do not transmit the same diseases. According to the CDC, the ticks to watch for are:

Blacklegged ticks, that I grew up nicknamed "deer ticks", are prevalent in the eastern United States. They can carry the bacteria that Lyme disease, and the organisms that cause anaplasmosis, recurrent fever, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis and Powassan virus disease.

Western ticks with black legs live in Pacific coastal states and can transmit anaplasmosis, Lyme disease and recurrent fever.

Lonely stars are more common in the south, but they exist in most of the eastern United States. (They carry the name of the white dot on the back, and not the Lone Star condition.) They can transmit ehrlichiosis, tularemia, heartland virus disease, and Bourbon virus disease. Tick-associated rash (STARI). From time to time, people bitten by a single tick can develop an allergy to meat.

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Dog ticks live in the eastern United States and California. They can transmit tularemia and spotted fever in the Rocky Mountains.

These are some of the species that most often bite humans. You can read more about other species here, and see the distribution maps for each of these species here.

Since tick bites can spread more diseases than Lyme, it's important to look for any strange symptoms after a tick bite and talk to your doctor about the tick. (If possible, keep ticks that bite you, keep them in bags or stick them to paper in case you need them identified or tested later.) Your doctor is probably familiar with ticks and the diseases that develop. in your area, be sure to specify whether you have traveled, for example, if you have just returned from a camping holiday in another part of the country.

Better yet, avoid tick bites in the first place. DEET on your skin and permethrin on your clothes are an effective strategy to protect you from ticks. A shower and a tick check every night can help you spot latecomers.

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