Southern tick-associated rash illness
A putative borrelia infection causing acute manifestations similar to lyme disease, particularly erythema migrans, following the bite of the lone star tick, amblyomma americanum.
Clinical features[edit | edit source]
- A rash similar to the rash of Lyme disease has been described in humans following bites of the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum.
- The rash may be accompanied by fatigue, fever, headache, muscle and joint pains.
- This condition has been named southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI).
Cause[edit | edit source]
The cause of STARI is not known.
Symptoms[edit | edit source]
STARI rashes take many forms:
- The rash of STARI is a red, expanding “bull’s-eye” lesion that develops around the site of a lone star tick bite.
- The rash usually appears within 7 days of tick bite and expands to a diameter of 8 centimeters (3 inches) or more.
- The rash should not be confused with much smaller areas of redness and discomfort that can occur commonly at the site of any tick bite.
- Patients may also experience fatigue, headache, fever, and muscle pains.
- The saliva from lone star ticks can be irritating; redness and discomfort at a bite site does not necessarily indicate an infection.
Diagnosis[edit | edit source]
- STARI is diagnosed on the basis of symptoms, geographic location, and possibility of tick bite.
- Because the cause of STARI is unknown, no diagnostic blood tests have been developed.
- Researchers once hypothesized that STARI was caused by the spirochete, Borrelia lonestari; however, further research did not support this idea.
Treatment[edit | edit source]
- It is not known whether antibiotic treatment is necessary or beneficial for patients with STARI.
- Nevertheless, because STARI resembles early Lyme disease, physicians will often treat patients with oral antibiotics.
Southern tick-associated rash illness Resources | ||
---|---|---|
|
|
Translate to: East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski
Navigation: Wellness - Encyclopedia - Health topics - Disease Index - Drugs - World Directory - Gray's Anatomy - Keto diet - Recipes
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD, Dr.T