Tick-borne pathogens

Pathogens

The organisms tick vectors transmit. Each row links to the canonical pathogen page — vectors, county-level presence, and the diseases each one causes.

All pathogens

7 entries
Scientific nameOne-liner
Anaplasma phagocytophilumAnaplasma phagocytophilumIntracellular bacterium that causes anaplasmosis (formerly human granulocytic ehrlichiosis); carried by Ixodes scapularis and I. pacificus.21
Babesia microtiBabesia microtiMalaria-like protozoan that infects red blood cells; the dominant cause of human babesiosis in the northeastern and upper-midwest US.11
Borrelia burgdorferiBorrelia burgdorferi sensu strictoSpirochete that causes Lyme disease in the eastern US (carried by Ixodes scapularis) and on the west coast (carried by Ixodes pacificus).21
Borrelia mayoniiBorrelia mayoniiLyme-disease-causing spirochete first identified in 2013 in upper-midwest deer ticks; produces a distinctive diffuse rash and high spirochetal load.11
Borrelia miyamotoiBorrelia miyamotoiRelapsing-fever spirochete carried by Ixodes ticks; causes hard-tick relapsing fever (HTRF) — fever, headache, myalgia without the Lyme bullseye rash.11
Ehrlichia muris eauclairensisEhrlichia muris eauclairensisUpper-midwest Ehrlichia variant first identified in Wisconsin/Minnesota in 2009; causes a fever-and-headache illness similar to other ehrlichioses.1
Powassan virusPowassan virusTick-borne flavivirus transmitted by Ixodes scapularis (deer tick virus, lineage II) and I. cookei; causes severe encephalitis with high case fatality.11