October 14, 2024, 12:30 p.m.
In the warmer months, cases of tick-borne illness can pop up.Jamie Kondis, MD, a WashU Medicine pediatrician at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, talks about three of these tick-borne illnesses that can occur in children, and when you should call their pediatrician.
- Lyme disease is spread by a tiny tick called the deer tick. It can take between three and 30 days for the first signs of Lyme disease to appear. The hallmark symptom is a bull’s-eye rash, which looks like a red spot surrounded by a red ring. Other symptoms include headache, joint pain and, in rare cases, inflammation of the brain.
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is an infection caused by the dog tick. RMSF causes a rash around the wrists and ankles that may spread further. Other symptoms include headache, joint pain, fever and blood pressures issues.
- Ehrlichiosis is a tick-borne disease caused by ticks native to Missouri. Symptoms include rash, joint pain and fever.
If you see any of these symptoms in your child, call their pediatrician right away. All of these tick-borne illnesses are treatable with antibiotics.
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