Diseases Linked to the Lone Star Tick

• Ehrlichiosis: a bacterial infection and the most common Lone Star tick illness. Antibiotics treat it when given early.
• STARI: a rash that can follow a bite and grows over time. Its cause is not known, and it is not Lyme disease.
• Alpha-gal syndrome: a delayed allergy to mammal meat that can start after bites.
• Heartland & Bourbon viruses: rare viral illnesses. There is no specific antiviral treatment.
• Tularemia: a bacterial illness that can spread by tick bites and in other ways.

It is the most often reported illness linked to the Lone Star tick. Early symptoms can include fever, headache, tiredness, and muscle aches. These often start within days to a couple of weeks of a bite. Get checked quickly, because antibiotics can treat it when it is caught early.

STARI causes a rash around a Lone Star tick bite that grows, and it is sometimes shaped like a bull's-eye. Some people also have tiredness, headache, or muscle aches. Its exact cause is not known, and it is not Lyme disease. But a doctor should always check a rash after a tick bite.

AGS is a delayed allergic reaction to alpha-gal, a sugar found in mammal meat. It can start after certain tick bites. Reactions tend to show up hours after eating red meat. See the alpha-gal guides for details.

Heartland and Bourbon viruses are rare illnesses linked to Lone Star tick bites. There is no specific antiviral treatment, so doctors treat the symptoms. Tularemia can spread through tick bites and in other ways. These illnesses are uncommon. But severe or lasting symptoms after a bite always need medical care.

All of these illnesses start the same way, with a tick bite. So the same steps protect against all of them: repellent, permethrin-treated clothing, staying out of tall grass and brush, and daily tick checks. Remove any attached tick quickly and the right way.