Slide show: Guide to different tick species and the diseases they carry
Tick species guide
Tick-borne diseases are becoming an increasing problem in the United States. Between 2014 and 2018, more than 200,000 cases were reported in the U.S.
Although there are hundreds of species of ticks found throughout the world, fewer than 60 are known to bite and spread disease to humans. Here are some of the more common human-biting ticks in the United States and the parts of the country where you'll most likely find them. These are images of unfed adult ticks.
American dog tick
The American dog tick, also known as a wood tick, is mainly located east of the U.S. Rocky Mountains and in some areas of the Pacific Coast. It's responsible for spreading Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia.
Black-legged tick
The black-legged tick, also known as a deer tick, is mainly located in the eastern half and north-central region of the U.S. It's responsible for spreading anaplasmosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Borrelia miyamotoi disease and Powassan virus disease.
Brown dog tick
The brown dog tick can be found worldwide, including throughout the entire United States. It's responsible for spreading Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Groundhog tick
The groundhog tick, also known as a woodchuck tick, is mainly located in the eastern half of the U.S. It rarely bites humans and is responsible for spreading Powassan virus disease.
Gulf Coast tick
The Gulf Coast tick is mainly located in the Atlantic Coast and along the Gulf Coast of Mexico in the U.S. It's responsible for spreading a form of spotted fever called Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis.
Lone Star tick
The Lone Star tick is mainly located in the southeastern and eastern U.S. It's responsible for spreading ehrlichiosis, Heartland virus disease, southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI), Bourbon virus disease and tularemia. Bites from the Lone Star tick can sometimes lead to alpha-gal syndrome.
Rocky Mountain wood tick
The Rocky Mountain wood tick is mainly located in the U.S. Rocky Mountain states and southwestern Canada. It's responsible for spreading Colorado tick fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia.
Asian longhorned tick
The Asian longhorned tick is usually located in countries including eastern China, Japan, the Russian Far East and Korea. Since 2017, the tick has been found in several eastern states in the United States. The tick can potentially spread germs that cause serious human diseases, such as anaplasmosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis and rickettsiosis, but the risk to humans in the United States from this tick is still unknown.
Soft tick
The soft tick is mainly located in the western U.S. It's responsible for spreading tick-borne relapsing fever.
Western black-legged tick
The Western black-legged tick is mainly located along the U.S. Pacific Coast. It's responsible for spreading anaplasmosis, babesiosis and Lyme disease.
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Last Updated Jan 27, 2023
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