SOUTHERN TICK-ASSOCIATED RASH ILLNESS (STARI)

Southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI) is contracted by humans through deer ticks. It cannot be passed from one person to another. The lone star tick is to blame for the rash, which resembles Lyme disease. The southern states in the south, from central Texas eastward as far as Maine and along the Atlantic coast, are where it is most frequently found. Seldom, if ever, is it lethal.

Ticks obtain the bacterium while feeding on smaller animals, and they later spread it to people and other mammals. The majority of the time, once a tick has been attached and fed for 36 hours, the bacteria from an infectious tick is transmitted.

SYMPTOMS

The signs of Southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI), which often manifests in the spring or summer, include a growing rash, minor symptoms like malaise, fever, or headache, and a recent incidence of a Lone Star tick bite at the rash’s location. These signs and symptoms resemble those of Lyme disease, although STARI rarely has major side effects like cardiac, neurological, or arthritis issues.

DIAGNOSIS

Given that the etiological agent is unknown, there is no serologic testing available for Southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI). Hence, a diagnosis is made based on how a normal rash looks. Lesions caused by STARI are typically more centrally evident, smaller, and less changeable in shape. So, talk to your healthcare provider if you experience the symptoms mentioned above.

TREATMENT

It is unknown if antibiotic therapy is advantageous or essential for STARI patients. Yet, because STARI mimics early Lyme disease, doctors frequently prescribe oral antibiotics to such patients. Nevertheless, you can take precautions. 

Wear light-colored clothing if you will be in an area where ticks may be present so that ticks may be quickly identified and removed. Put on long sleeves and slip your socks into your trousers legs. A tick sticking itself should be less likely if you use an insect repellant that has DEET.

Quickly remove ticks, then disinfect the area with an antiseptic. Elimination of any attached ticks as soon as possible will aid in infection prevention since the transmission of the bacterium is unlikely to happen within the first 36 hours after a tick bite.

Related Articles

TETRALOGY OF FALLOT

Overview and FactsTypes and SymptomsDiagnosis & MedicationsOverview and Facts Tetralogy of Fallot is a congenital heart defect that affects the [...]

TRICHINOSIS

Overview and FactsTypes and SymptomsDiagnosis & MedicationsOverview and Facts Trichinosis, also known as trichinellosis, is a parasitic infection caused by [...]

TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA

Overview and FactsTypes and SymptomsDiagnosis & MedicationsOverview and Facts Trigeminal neuralgia is a neurological condition characterized by severe facial pain. [...]