Medical disclaimer
This site is educational. It is not a substitute for clinical care.
What this site is
The Tick Almanac provides general information about ticks, tick bites, tick-borne diseases, and prevention products. The content is sourced from CDC, FDA, EPA, state health departments, university extension, and peer-reviewed literature. Pages that include disease, symptom, or clinician-routing copy are reviewed by a credentialed medical reviewer before publish.
What this site is not
Nothing on The Tick Almanac diagnoses Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, Powassan virus, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, alpha-gal syndrome, skin infection, or any other condition. The decision trees, FAQs, and red-flag lists are orientation tools, not clinical decision tools. We do not provide medical, diagnostic, treatment, or dosing advice.
When to contact a clinician
After a known or suspected tick bite, contact a clinician if you notice any of:
- Expanding rash, including but not limited to a bull's-eye rash.
- Fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, joint pain, or flu-like symptoms.
- Increasing redness, warmth, swelling, drainage, or pain at the bite site.
- Severe headache or neurologic symptoms.
- Unusual fatigue, weakness, or persistent malaise.
- Any concerning symptom in a child, pregnant person, older adult, or immunocompromised person.
For emergencies, call 911 or your local emergency number. For poison-control questions involving a tick or tick product, contact your nearest poison-control center.
For pets
Pet health questions belong with your veterinarian. See our veterinary disclaimer.