Hard Tick Relapsing Fever | Vermont Department of Health

Hard Tick Relapsing Fever | Vermont Department of Health
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Translations for you
Hard Tick Relapsing Fever
Tick Bite Illnesses
Prevent Tick Bites & Tick Bite Illnesses
Tick Activity in Vermont
Tickborne Disease Resources for Health Professionals
Anaplasmosis
Babesiosis
Hard Tick Relapsing Fever
Ehrlichiosis
Lyme Disease
Powassan Virus
Hard tick relapsing fever (
formerly known as
Borrelia miyamotoi
disease)
is caused by the bacterium,
Borrelia miyamotoi,
which
was first discovered in Japan in 1995. In the United States, the first human infections were reported in 2013. The first case in a Vermont resident was reported to the Health Department in 2016.
Symptoms
Symptoms of
hard tick relapsing fever
may include a fever, chills, muscle aches, fatigue, joint pain and headaches. Some people also report that their fever comes and goes (relapsing fever). People with
hard tick relapsing fever
do not often have a rash, unlike patients with
Lyme disease.
Diagnosis
Hard tick relapsing fever
can be diagnosed with the help of a blood test. Laboratory tests for infection are not as widely available as tests for other tick bite illnesses, but they are offered by some commercial laboratories.
Tests used to diagnose an infection with
Borrelia burgdorferi
, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, cannot be used to diagnose
hard tick relapsing fever.
Treatment
Hard tick relapsing fever is
treated with a 2 to 4 week course of doxycycline. Other antibiotics have also been used to treat this illness.
How it Spreads
In Vermont and other parts of the northeastern United States,
hard tick relapsing fever is spread
to humans by the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. This is the same tick that spreads Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and Powassan virus.
Prevention
The best way to prevent
hard tick relapsing fever
is to
prevent tick bites
.
Surveillance
The Health Department began surveillance for
hard tick relapsing fever
in 2016 when the first infection in a Vermont resident was reported. Like other tick bite illnesses, each reported
hard tick relapsing fever
infection is investigated by the Department. To date, fewer than 75 infections in Vermont residents have been reported.
The Vermont Department of Health is also working with other state health departments and federal partners to collect and share information on
hard tick relapsing fever
. These joint efforts are designed to help assess the public health impact of this disease and identify potential surveillance methods.
Hard tick relapsing fever is most commonly reported in the southern half of Vermont.
Health Care Providers
Because it is an emerging disease,
hard tick relapsing fever
is reportable in Vermont. Health care providers are required to report cases to the Health Department. Laboratories are also required to report positive results for
hard tick relapsing fever
, including those from polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and antibody-based tests.
How to report infectious diseases
Topics:
Outdoor Safety
|
Tickborne Diseases
Last Updated:
May 8, 2025