What is the prognosis (outlook) for people who get a tick bite?
The great majority of people who get tick bites have no problems during or after the bite. For people with suppressed immune systems (HIV, cancer, chemotherapy patients), the prognosis is still good, but they should contact their physicians and inform them about a tick bite. Also, the faster the tick is removed after a bite, the less likely the tick will transmit pathogens. The overall prognosis for an individual person changes if the tick transmits a pathogen. The prognosis can range from good to poor and is determined by the disease transmitted, the stage of the disease, and the condition of the patient. Immune-suppressed patients usually have a worse prognosis than otherwise healthy people. Consultation with an infectious disease specialist is one of the best ways to determine the prognosis for the many diseases that ticks can transmit to people.
