Colorado Tick Fever (CTF) is a viral disease spread by the bite of an infected Rocky Mountain wood tick. The most common symptoms of CTF are fever, chills, headache, body aches, and feeling tired. Some people may also experience a sore throat, vomiting, abdominal pain, or a skin rash. About half of people with CTF may have a ‘biphasic’ fever. This means the person may have a fever for several days, feel better for several days, then have a second short period of fever and illness. Most people who get CTF have mild disease and recover. However, weakness and fatigue may linger for several weeks. There are no medications to treat CTF infection. There is no vaccine to prevent infection with CTF virus. The best way to prevent infection is to prevent tick bites, prevent ticks on your pets, and prevent ticks in your yard.
What to do if you find a tick:
If you find a tick attached to your skin, remove the tick as soon as possible. You can use the ‘Tick Bite Assessment’ bot below to assist with removing the tick. Testing a tick for pathogens is not recommended for a variety of reasons.
Teton County Weed & Pest District (TCWP) is interested in collecting ticks that people may come across from anywhere in Wyoming. This collection method, commonly known as passive surveillance, is part of a large surveillance program to learn more about the ticks in Wyoming, such as tick species richness, diversity, abundance, phenology, distribution, as well as tick-borne pathogen presence and prevalence. The TCWP laboratory will be testing live, non-blood fed ticks for pathogens that can cause diseases in humans.
If you come across ticks and want to donate them to science, they can be adhered onto clear packing tape that’s folded in on itself, or then placed on cardstock or cardboard. Alternatively, a double bagged Ziplock bag or small container with a slightly damp tissue inside can help keep them alive for pathogen testing.
Submit ticks within a few days (if possible) via mail to:
Teton County Weed & Pest District
ATTN: Mikenna Smith / Laboratory
7575 South US Hwy 89
Jackson, WY 83001