Southern tick-associated rash illness

Editor-In-Chief: Prab R Tumpati, MD
Obesity, Sleep & Internal medicine
Founder, WikiMD Wellnesspedia &
W8MD's weight loss doctor NYC
Philadelphia GLP-1 weight loss and GLP-1 clinic NYC

Southern tick-associated rash illness
File:Amblyomma americanum tick.jpg
Synonyms	STARI
Pronounce	N/A
Specialty	N/A
Symptoms	Rash, fatigue, headache, fever, muscle pains
Complications
Onset	7 days after tick bite
Duration
Types	N/A
Causes	Tick bite
Risks
Diagnosis	Clinical evaluation
Differential diagnosis	Lyme disease
Prevention	Avoidance of tick bites
Treatment	Antibiotics
Medication	Doxycycline
Prognosis	Generally good
Frequency
Deaths

A putative borrelia infection causing acute manifestations similar to lyme disease, particularly erythema migrans, following the bite of the lone star tick, amblyomma americanum.

Lone Star Tick Bite

Lone Star Tick Bite

Clinical features

• A rash similar to the rash of Lyme disease has been described in humans following bites of the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum.
• The rash may be accompanied by fatigue, fever, headache, muscle and joint pains.
• This condition has been named southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI).

Female Lone Star Tick

Female Lone Star Tick

Cause

The cause of STARI is not known.

Erythema migrans

Erythema migrans

Symptoms

STARI rashes take many forms:

• The rash of STARI is a red, expanding ‚Äúbull‚Äôs-eye‚Äù lesion that develops around the site of a lone star tick bite.
• The rash usually appears within 7 days of tick bite and expands to a diameter of 8 centimeters (3 inches) or more.
• The rash should not be confused with much smaller areas of redness and discomfort that can occur commonly at the site of any tick bite.
• Patients may also experience fatigue, headache, fever, and muscle pains.
• The saliva from lone star ticks can be irritating; redness and discomfort at a bite site does not necessarily indicate an infection.

Diagnosis

• STARI is diagnosed on the basis of symptoms, geographic location, and possibility of tick bite.
• Because the cause of STARI is unknown, no diagnostic blood tests have been developed.
• Researchers once hypothesized that STARI was caused by the spirochete, Borrelia lonestari; however, further research did not support this idea.

Treatment

• It is not known whether antibiotic treatment is necessary or beneficial for patients with STARI.
• Nevertheless, because STARI resembles early Lyme disease, physicians will often treat patients with oral antibiotics.