tick-borne disease

tick-borne disease A disease that is carried by or caused by a tick. Examples of tick-borne diseases in the US include babesiosis (a malaria-like infection), ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, relapsing fever (also called tick fever, most common in the western US), Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tick paralysis, and tularemia (rabbit fever). Anyone working in the outdoors, especially in areas with tall grasses, shrubs, low-hanging branches, or leaf mold, is susceptible to being bitten by a tick. Ticks do not jump, crawl, or fall onto a person. They are picked up when clothing or hair brushes leaves or other objects that they are on. Ticks are generally found within 3 feet of the ground. After a tick is picked up, it crawls until it finds a likely site to feed. Ticks often find spots at the back of the knee, near the hairline, and behind the ears. The best way to prevent tick-borne diseases is to avoid being bitten by ticks.