Tick-borne disease transmission time varies based on the pathogen. Lyme disease takes about 36–48 hours, anaplasmosis is more like 12–24 hours, and Powassan virus can pass in as little as 15 minutes (though it is rare).
Tick-borne illness of any kind is scary. But the good news is that most illnesses transmit slowly and removing ticks quickly greatly reduces your odds of falling ill.
Lyme disease is the thing that comes to mind for most people when it comes to tick-borne illness, and that’s for good reason. It’s more common than most others. But it also takes a long time to transmit the bacterium from the tick’s midgut to the host’s body. If you remove the tick within 24 hours, your odds of falling ill from Lyme disease will be very low.
Of course, Lyme disease is not the only problem. There is also babesiosis, which is a parasite which can take about a day to transmit. Anaplasmosis is caused by bacteria that live in a different part of the tick, and that transmits faster. Then there is Powassan virus. It’s rare but it’s very serious and can transmit in as little as 15 minutes of attachment. Meanwhile, American dog ticks, common in Northwest Indiana’s grassy areas, can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever within several hours.
Even with all that said: a good rule of thumb to live by is to remove ticks within 24 hours for your best chance of reducing tick-borne illness odds. It’s not foolproof, but much like wearing a seat belt, it’s a small thing you can do that lowers the odds of something really bad happening.
As for how this plays out in daily life, check yourself daily after spending time in the woods, brush, or tall grass. If you find a tick, remove it with fine-tipped tweezers. Grip close to the skin and pull straight up. Make note of when you were bitten and watch for an expanding rash or flu-like symptoms. And if you want to reduce tick encounters on your own property, consider professional tick control.
If you’re tired of ticks, Mosquito Squad of Northwest Indiana can help. Mosquito Squad treats the zones where ticks quest. This can help you better protect your family with up to 90% reduction in pest activity on a recurring cycle.
