ABSTRACT
Tickborne diseases are achieving increased recognition in the United States as a public health problem. Lyme disease has been identified to have occurred in 45 states and has attracted increased public interest. Babesiosis, transmitted by the same tick, has important transfusion implications. Newly identified diseases such as ehrlichiosis raise new questions about the role of the tick in human disease. Much of this interest has been accelerated by increases in animal populations (deer in particular), as well as increased movement of the human population into outdoor environments, which are conducive to tick bites.
