Rash or craterlike sore after a tick bite

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Rash or craterlike sore after a tick bite

Several of the diseases ticks pass to humans may cause a rash or craterlike sore (ulcer). Usually flulike symptoms (such as fever, headache, muscle aches, and a general feeling of illness) occur before or at the same time as the rash or craterlike sore. Tick bite diseases that may occur with a rash or craterlike sore include:

• Ehrlichiosis. A rash develops in about 20% to 40% of cases. The rash may be red with raised bumps (maculopapules) or tiny purple or red spots (petechiae).
• Lyme disease. An expanding red rash may occur with Lyme disease.
• Relapsing fever. A rash develops in up to 50% of cases. The rash may be a red rash with raised bumps (maculopapules) or tiny purple or red spots (petechiae).
• Rocky Mountain spotted fever. A rash develops in 85% to 95% of cases. The rash often starts on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, then spreads to the arms and legs and the rest of the body.
• Tularemia. In about 80% of cases, an open sore develops at the site of the bite.

A health professional can evaluate the cause of your rash or sore and recommend treatment.

Credits

Last updated:	January 17, 2008
Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS
Reviewed By:	William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine, H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer