Colorado tick fever - Treatment

Alternative Names

Mountain tick fever; Mountain fever; American mountain fever

Treatment:

Make sure the tick is fully removed from the skin. Take a pain reliever if necessary (do not give aspirin to children -- it is associated with Reye syndrome in some viral illnesses). If complications develop, treatment will be aimed at controlling the symptoms.

Expectations (prognosis):

Colorado tick fever usually goes away by itself and is not dangerous.

Complications:

Complications include aseptic meningitis, encephalitis, and hemorrhagic fever.

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider if you are unable to fully remove a tick embedded in the skin, if you or your child develop symptoms of this disease, if symptoms worsen or do not improve with treatment, or if new symptoms develop.

Deer ticks

Ticks

Tick imbedded in the skin

Antibodies

Reviewed last on: 9/15/2010
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Jatin Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Naides SJ. Arthropod-borne viruses causing fever and rash syndromes. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007: chap 405.

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