Other tick-borne infections
Ticks carry multiple bacteria, viruses and parasites that can be transmitted individually or along with Lyme Disease bacteria. It has been found to be common to get more than one infection from a single tick bite.
​
Potential infections include babesiosis, anaplasmosis, ehlichiosis, bartonellosis, and others. Some of these diseases do not respond to the antibiotics commonly used to treat Lyme disease. Each infection must be appropriately treated in order for a person to get well.
​
Scottish research shows:
​
-
Babesia antibodies exist in sera from wild red deer across Scotland in proportions ranging from 22 to 100 per cent.
-
​
-
A Glasgow University thesis reports Babesia venatorum has been detected in 9 % of healthy sheep, Babesia divergens in 11 % of wild red deer, and a Babesia odocoilei-like parasite in 15 % of wild red deer. Anaplasma phagocytophilum was detected in 73% of healthy sheep and 40% of red deer. Sarcocystis sp. similar to S. tenella were also detected in 3 % of healthy sheep.
​
-
Babesia has been detected in 59.6% of blood samples from Scottish badgers.
​
-
15.3% of cats were seropositive for Bartonella.
​
-
Q-fever was found in 1% of cattle and in 30% of one flock of sheep tested.
​
-
Ticks with Borrelia miyamotoi, which causes relapsing fever, were found feeding on competitors of a Scottish mountain marathon.