# Cumulative tick poison? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 8, 2008, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cumulative-tick-poison/466969 "2008-10-08T09:28:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Incref](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@Incref](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incref)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cumulative-tick-poison/466969/1 "2008-10-08T09:28:48Z")
I have heard anecdotally from all sorts of people (including several nurses) that tick saliva is a cumulative poison i.e. no matter your reaction to an initial bite, your reaction to being bitten will get progressively worse (whether this be over months or many years). Has anyone else heard of this or is it primarily a South East Queensland thing? There is quite a bit of information on tick typhus, Lyme disease and allergies but nothing I can find on increased reactions with exposure . Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cumulative-tick-poison/466969/2 "2008-10-08T09:32:46Z")
I live in South East Queensland and I have never heard of it. Doesn’t make it incorrect of course. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cumulative-tick-poison/466969/3 "2008-10-08T12:12:25Z")
Eeeeeekkkwwwweerrr eew eeew eeweeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaRRRRRRRRRRRRRRtghgghhh! :eek: (sorry, just my reaction whenever I think of ticks) AARRRRRRRRSDee EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeahhh GET IT OFF!!! (oops) What’s tick poison? I’ve dodged Lyme disease, but I don’t think that’s what you’re talking about. I think my main tick reactions are: screaming heebejeebies, small reddish spot, uber-willies, and screaming like a little girl. What poison? ---
**Author:** ![Incref](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@Incref](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incref)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cumulative-tick-poison/466969/4 "2008-10-08T13:25:10Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Eeeeeekkkwwwweerrr eew eeew eeweeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaRRRRRRRRRRRRRRtghgghhh! :eek: > (sorry, just my reaction whenever I think of ticks) > > AARRRRRRRRSDee EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeahhh GET IT OFF!!! > (oops) > > What’s tick poison? I’ve dodged Lyme disease, but I don’t think that’s what you’re talking about. I think my main tick reactions are: screaming heebejeebies, small reddish spot, uber-willies, and screaming like a little girl. What poison? [Although there are over 800 known tick species internationally, only 40 of these have a toxic bite and only three or four have a venom which can be fatal. The most deadly species is concentrated in eastern Australia.](http://www.uts.edu.au/new/archives/1998/march/02.html) Mostly to do with dogs, but a basic explanation. See [Ixodes holocyclus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paralysis_tick). ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cumulative-tick-poison/466969/5 "2008-10-08T13:55:15Z")
> [@Incref](#): > > [Although there are over 800 known tick species internationally, only 40 of these have a toxic bite and only three or four have a venom which can be fatal. The most deadly species is concentrated in eastern Australia.](http://www.uts.edu.au/new/archives/1998/march/02.html) Thanks. Note to self: cancel Australian camping plans. ---
**Author:** ![Incref](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@Incref](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incref)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cumulative-tick-poison/466969/6 "2008-10-08T14:15:31Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Thanks. > > Note to self: cancel Australian camping plans. \*\* TICKS??!!\*\* I could think of a few more things to be worried about on an Aussie camping trip! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cumulative-tick-poison/466969/7 "2008-10-08T14:19:08Z")
Isn’t this ‘progressively worse’ issue really what happens when one is allergic to the tick bites, much as one who is allergic to bee stings can expect their immune system to react worse with each sting, eventually needed an epi-pen in case they are bitten again? ---
**Author:** ![Incref](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@Incref](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incref)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cumulative-tick-poison/466969/8 "2008-10-08T14:42:04Z")
That was kind of my point, from what I have heard it isn’t an allergic thing. That this cumulative effect will occur in all people.