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New Bacteria Cause Tick Fever

Researchers have found a new species, but it is no cause for celebration. The new, still unnamed species, is a germ transmitted by tick bites. In humans, it causes fever, headache, fatigue and muscle aches. It appears very similar to the tick-borne disease called ehrlichiosis, but DNA testing shows that the pathogen is a related but different species. The disease is showing up in both ticks and humans in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Fortunately, it responds to doxycycline, the same antibiotic that is used to treat ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

[New England Journal of Medicine, Aug. 4, 2011]

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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