Below is a brief description of some of the Tick-Borne Illnesses seen in Oklahoma.  For more detailed information, we recommend that you visit the websites we have listed as resources.

Lyme Disease (Lyme Borreliosis), a multisystem disorder characterized by dermatologic, cardiac, neurologic, and rheumatologic manifestations, is the most common tick-borne infection in the United States.

Lyme Disease, is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system. Lyme disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, physical findings (e.g., rash), and the possibility of exposure to infected ticks; laboratory testing is helpful in the later stages of disease. Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated successfully with a few weeks of antibiotics. Steps to prevent Lyme disease include using insect repellent, removing ticks promptly, landscaping, and integrated pest management. The ticks that transmit Lyme disease can occasionally transmit other tick-borne diseases as well.

Southern Tick Associated Rash Illness (STARI) or Masters' Disease is a Lyme-like illness. Initially identified by Dr. Edwin Masters in 1988 as being transmitted via the Lone Star tick rather than the Blacklegged (Ixodes) tick. Historically the pathogen was genetically sequenced as the Lyme disease bacterium (Bb). In 1990, Dr. Masters presented his data to the scientific community and by 1995 this isloate was recognized as a new substrain of the Borrelia burgdorferi, similar to the European strains, and named it Borrelia lonestari. Over the years there has been great debate on what exact pathogen causes the diseae and what it should be offically called.  By 2001, scientific publications began referring to the illness as Masters' Disease.