Tickborne Diseases in West Virginia

Tickborne diseases in WV remain a concern throughout fall and winter months.

Although peak season is during the summer months, fluctuating temperatures and well protected harbors for ticks (leaf litter, etc.) allow tick populations to overwinter and become active when temperatures rise above 40°F.

WV tickborne diseases of concern are:

• Lyme Disease: Caused by Borrelia burgdorferi and transmitted by the Blacklegged Tick. Symptoms include fever, headache, chills, and sometimes a "bullseye" rash. Can cause joint pain and neurological complications if untreated.

• Anaplasmosis: Caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum and transmitted by the Blacklegged Tick). Presents with flu-like symptoms. Untreated cases can lead to respiratory and renal failure.

• Ehrlichiosis: Caused by Ehrlichia species and transmitted by the Blacklegged, Lone Star, and American and Brown Dog Ticks). Destroys white blood cells, causing fever, headache, and muscle aches.

• Rickettsiosis (RMSF): Caused by Rickettsia rickettsii  and transmitted by the American Dog Tick and Brown Dog Tick. Symptoms include fever, headache, nausea, and rash. Can cause organ damage if untreated.

• Babesiosis: Caused by Babesia microti  and transmitted by the Blacklegged Tick. Infects red blood cells, causing fever, chills, fatigue, and anemia.

• Tularemia: Caused by Francisella tularensis and transmitted by the American Dog Tick and Lone Star Tick. Causes high fever, fatigue, and potential severe complications like pneumonia.

• Alpha-gal Syndrome: Allergic reaction to meat and other mammalian proteins, triggered by Lone Star Tick saliva after a bite. Symptoms include anaphylactic shock, hives, swelling, and gastrointestinal distress.

Tick Surveillance & Testing Activities

Health Departments periodically conduct tick surveillance activities on public lands by coordinating with WVDNR and other partners. They seldom go onto private lands, but when they do, it is with the express consent of the landowner. Testing positive for a tickborne illness does not trigger surveillance on a patient's property.

Ticks collected during surveillance activities are tested intermittently for the presence of pathogens that may be transmitted on to humans (see pathogens italicized above). Alpha-gal Syndrome is the exception to this, as it is an allergic reaction to a protein passed from the saliva of a tick, rather than a human pathogen.

Prevention

To prevent tick bites, the CDC recommends using EPA-registered insect repellents, treating clothing with 0.5% permethrin, staying on cleared trails, showering right away after being in wooded and grassy areas, and doing full-body checks for ticks. You should contact a doctor immediately if you develop a fever, unusual rash, fatigue, or joint pain within 30 days of a tick exposure, as early treatment is vital. Blood tests for tickborne diseases often turn up negative if taken too soon because antibodies take weeks to form, so physicians typically rely on your symptoms and history for an early diagnosis instead of waiting for lab work.