Tick-borne diseases, and the ticks that carry them

The illnesses ticks can transmit: what they are, the symptoms to watch for, how soon symptoms appear, and which tick carries each. The Lone Star tick's own illnesses are listed first.

How soon symptoms start

Roughly how soon symptoms tend to appear after exposure, and the main tick that carries each illness. Ranges are approximate; each disease page lists its sources.

Tick-borne diseases: typical onset of symptoms and the ticks that carry each
Disease	Typical onset	Carried by
Carried by the Lone Star tick
Alpha-gal syndromeAllergic	Reactions are usually delayed. CDC says symptoms usually appear about 2 to 6 hours after eating red (mammal) meat or dairy products. Reactions can even start during the night. This delay is a hallmark of AGS and a big reason it can be hard to link to food. Timing varies from person to person, and some reports describe reactions starting somewhat later.	Lone Star tick
Bourbon virus diseaseViral	Not firmly established by CDC. In the small number of reported cases, symptoms have generally started within days to a couple of weeks of a tick bite (broadly, days to weeks). CDC has not published an exact incubation period for Bourbon virus.	Lone Star tick
EhrlichiosisBacterial	Symptoms usually begin about 1–2 weeks (roughly 5–14 days) after the bite of an infected tick, CDC says.	Lone Star tick, Blacklegged tick
Heartland virus diseaseViral	A few days to several weeks after a tick bite. CDC says the incubation period (the time from tick bite to feeling sick) ranges from a few days to several weeks. Most patients reported being exposed to ticks in the two weeks before they got sick. Most became ill between May and September.	Lone Star tick
Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI)	The STARI rash usually appears within about 7 days of the Lone Star tick bite (CDC). In practice, reported timing ranges from a few days to roughly two weeks. Each case is different.	Lone Star tick
TularemiaBacterial	Symptoms usually begin 3–5 days after exposure, CDC clinical guidance says. The reported range is about 1–21 days.	American dog tick, Rocky Mountain wood tick, Lone Star tick
Carried by other ticks
AnaplasmosisBacterial	Symptoms usually begin about 5–14 days (roughly 1–2 weeks) after the bite of an infected tick. Many people do not remember being bitten.	Blacklegged tick (deer tick), Western blacklegged tick
BabesiosisParasitic	When symptoms appear, they usually start within a few weeks to a couple of months of exposure, often about 1 to 4 weeks after a tick bite. They can start around a week after infection. They may first appear or come back months later, most often in people with weakened immune systems (CDC).	Blacklegged tick
Lyme DiseaseBacterial	The rash (erythema migrans) usually appears 3 to 30 days after the tick bite, about 7 days on average (CDC). Later signs, such as arthritis, facial palsy, or Lyme carditis, can develop days to months after an infection that is not treated.	Blacklegged tick (deer tick), Western blacklegged tick
Powassan virus diseaseViral	For people who do get symptoms, the time from an infected tick's bite to feeling sick (the incubation period) usually ranges from about 1 week to 1 month. Many infected people never get symptoms at all.	Blacklegged tick (deer tick), Groundhog tick, Squirrel tick
Rocky Mountain spotted feverBacterial	Symptoms usually begin about 3–12 days after the bite of an infected tick (CDC). When a rash appears, it usually shows up 2–4 days after the fever starts. The more typical spotted (petechial) rash often does not appear until day 5 or 6 of illness.	American dog tick, Rocky Mountain wood tick, Brown dog tick

Carried by the Lone Star tick

Alpha-gal syndromeAllergic
Typical onset
Reactions are usually delayed. CDC says symptoms usually appear about 2 to 6 hours after eating red (mammal) meat or dairy products. Reactions can even start during the night. This delay is a hallmark of AGS and a big reason it can be hard to link to food. Timing varies from person to person, and some reports describe reactions starting somewhat later.
Carried by
Lone Star tick
Bourbon virus diseaseViral
Typical onset
Not firmly established by CDC. In the small number of reported cases, symptoms have generally started within days to a couple of weeks of a tick bite (broadly, days to weeks). CDC has not published an exact incubation period for Bourbon virus.
Carried by
Lone Star tick
EhrlichiosisBacterial
Typical onset
Symptoms usually begin about 1–2 weeks (roughly 5–14 days) after the bite of an infected tick, CDC says.
Carried by
Lone Star tick, Blacklegged tick
Heartland virus diseaseViral
Typical onset
A few days to several weeks after a tick bite. CDC says the incubation period (the time from tick bite to feeling sick) ranges from a few days to several weeks. Most patients reported being exposed to ticks in the two weeks before they got sick. Most became ill between May and September.
Carried by
Lone Star tick
Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI)
Typical onset
The STARI rash usually appears within about 7 days of the Lone Star tick bite (CDC). In practice, reported timing ranges from a few days to roughly two weeks. Each case is different.
Carried by
Lone Star tick
TularemiaBacterial
Typical onset
Symptoms usually begin 3–5 days after exposure, CDC clinical guidance says. The reported range is about 1–21 days.
Carried by
American dog tick, Rocky Mountain wood tick, Lone Star tick

Carried by other ticks

AnaplasmosisBacterial
Typical onset
Symptoms usually begin about 5–14 days (roughly 1–2 weeks) after the bite of an infected tick. Many people do not remember being bitten.
Carried by
Blacklegged tick (deer tick), Western blacklegged tick
BabesiosisParasitic
Typical onset
When symptoms appear, they usually start within a few weeks to a couple of months of exposure, often about 1 to 4 weeks after a tick bite. They can start around a week after infection. They may first appear or come back months later, most often in people with weakened immune systems (CDC).
Carried by
Blacklegged tick
Lyme DiseaseBacterial
Typical onset
The rash (erythema migrans) usually appears 3 to 30 days after the tick bite, about 7 days on average (CDC). Later signs, such as arthritis, facial palsy, or Lyme carditis, can develop days to months after an infection that is not treated.
Carried by
Blacklegged tick (deer tick), Western blacklegged tick
Powassan virus diseaseViral
Typical onset
For people who do get symptoms, the time from an infected tick's bite to feeling sick (the incubation period) usually ranges from about 1 week to 1 month. Many infected people never get symptoms at all.
Carried by
Blacklegged tick (deer tick), Groundhog tick, Squirrel tick
Rocky Mountain spotted feverBacterial
Typical onset
Symptoms usually begin about 3–12 days after the bite of an infected tick (CDC). When a rash appears, it usually shows up 2–4 days after the fever starts. The more typical spotted (petechial) rash often does not appear until day 5 or 6 of illness.
Carried by
American dog tick, Rocky Mountain wood tick, Brown dog tick

This page is here to help you learn. It is not medical advice. Only a doctor can diagnose a tick-borne illness. If someone has trouble breathing or a severe allergic reaction, call 911. Read our sources and disclaimer.