What is Texas tick disease?

Lyme disease is an illness that may involve skin, joint, heart, and nervous system problems. Lyme disease can affect people of all ages. It is the most frequently diagnosed tick-borne disease in Texas and in the United States.

What percentage of ticks in Texas carry Lyme disease?

Ticks prefer to live in wooded areas, low-growing grasslands, and yards. Depending on the location, anywhere from less than 1% to more than 50% of the ticks are infected with spirochetes. Although Lyme disease is a year-round problem, April through October is considered tick season.

When are ticks active in Texas?

Most ticks are active during the spring, summer, and fall months. Ticks in Houston and the greater metropolitan area carry diseases such as Lyme, Stari, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. The explosion of ticks and associated diseases in the United States is a relatively new phenomenon.

Is tick-borne disease fatal?

The CDC calls RMSF “the most deadly tick-borne disease in the world.” If not treated properly, death can occur within 8 days of the onset of symptoms – even in previously healthy people. This is partly because untreated RMSF can cause damage to blood vessels that leads to organ and tissue damage.

What are common ticks in Texas?

There are many species of ticks, but the two species most commonly found in Texas are the Brown Dog Tick and the Lone Star Tick.

Is Lyme disease in Texas?

The causative agent of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi , was first identified in Texas in 1984. Lyme disease is now known to be endemic to Texas.

What is Texas tick fever?

Medical Definition of Texas fever. : an infectious disease of cattle transmitted by the cattle tick and caused by a sporozoan of the genus Babesia (B. bigemina) that multiplies in the blood and destroys red blood cells. — called also cattle-tick fever, Texas cattle fever.

What are the types of ticks?

Black-legged tick. The black-legged tick lives all over the U.S.