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.
If you have recovered a tick crawling on you or your pet, you can send us a picture of the tick to have it identified. Pictures can be sent to courtney.tillman@wyo.gov. Please include the following information:
- A clear picture of the tick
- Location where the tick was collected or acquired (city or zip code)
- Collection date