Other Tick Borne Diseases
Introducing Co-Infections
So, What Exactly is a Co-Infection?
A single tick bite can transmit a variety of other harmful illnesses because ticks can carry a variety of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoans at the same time. The term co-infection describes a patient who has contracted more than one of these infections from the same tick.
While Lyme is the most prevalent tick-borne disease, ticks can also transmit “co-infections” named:
- Babesia/Babesiosis
- Bartonella/Bartonellosis
- Ehrlichia/Ehrlichiosis
- Anaplasma/Anaplasmosis
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF)
- Borrelia Miyamotoi
- Borrelia Mayonii
- Colorado Tick Fever
- Heartland Virus
- Powassan Virus
- Q Fever
- Relapsing Fever
- Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness
- Tick-Borne Encephalitis
- Tularemia
- Brucellosis
Other potential impacts of tick bites include:
How Prevalent are Co-Infections?
Patients with Lyme disease, if caught early, usually respond to antibiotic treatment. However, approximately 10-20% of reported cases will continue to experience symptoms even after the standard treatment protocol.
Of those patients who experience chronic symptoms, 50% will experience symptoms of a co-infection and require additional diagnosis and treatment for these illnesses.
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