Lyme disease - Other Tick-Borne Diseases

georgia · medicine forum Guru Joined: 06 May 2005 Posts: 505

http://www.backpacker.com/article/1,2646,10610,00.html

Other Tick-Borne Diseases

A comprehensive guide to other tick-borne illnesses

By Christie Aschwanden, June 2006

While Lyme easily holds the title of most common tick-borne illness in
the
United States, two other diseases, babesiosis and human granulocytic
ehrlichiosis (HGE), are spread by the same ticks that transmit Lyme. A
2003
study found that 4 percent of patients with confirmed cases of Lyme
disease
were also infected with babesiosis or HGE. Contracting two of these at
once
may increase the severity of symptoms. Rocky Mountain spotted fever
(found
mostly in the Southeast, despite its name) also spreads through tick
bites.

Condition: Babesiosis

Symptoms: May be symptom-free, or can have flulike symptoms: fever,
chills,
fatigue, sweats, headache, and muscle pain. Gastrointestinal problems,
shortness of breath, and dark urine may also occur.

Treatment: An antibiotic accompanied by another drug (typically
clindamycin
with quinine sulfate)

Condition: Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

Symptoms: Sudden fever, severe headache, muscle pain, confusion, and a
spotted rash, often on the palms and soles of the feet; can be fatal in
rare
cases

Treatment: Antibiotics (usually doxycycline or tetracycline)

Condition: Human Granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE)

Symptoms: Fever, muscle aches, weakness, headache; less frequently,
confusion, nausea, vomiting, and joint pain

Treatment: Tetracycline antibiotics

Copyright Rodale, Inc. 2006

Google