Communicable diseases

Tick bites and tick bite diseases

Ticks are parasites that feed off human blood. Australian ticks can cause illness. Some people suffer from debilitating symptom complexes attributed to ticks (DSCATT). The best protection is to prevent tick bites.

About ticks in Australia

Although ticks are found in every state and territory, they are most commonly found along Australia’s east coast.

They are known to cause various illnesses, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe.

The Australian paralysis tick is responsible for more than 95% of bites in easter Australia and is the leading cause of tick-borne illnesses.

The risk of encountering ticks exists year-round. But tick season generally runs from July to December, when adult ticks are more prevalent. Tick season varies depending on where you live.

About tick bite diseases

In Australia, illnesses caused by tick bites include:

  • Australian spotted fever
  • Flinders Island spotted fever
  • Q fever
  • allergic reactions including tick anaphylaxis and mammalian meat allergy
  • paralysis – this is rare in humans and occurs only after a tick has been attached for 4 to 5 days.

Tick bites have also been linked to alpha-gal syndrome, also referred to as mammalian meat allergy.

The Australian paralysis tick is responsible for more than 95% of bites and is the leading cause of tick-borne illnesses.

The risk of encountering ticks exists year-round. But tick season generally runs from July to December, when adult ticks are more prevalent. Tick season varies depending on where you live.

Debilitating symptom complexes attributed to ticks

Some Australians suffer from the symptoms of a chronic debilitating illness, which many associate with tick bites.

This is called debilitating symptom complexes attributed to ticks (DSCATT).

The most common symptoms DSCATT patients report include:

Overseas-acquired tick-borne diseases

Lyme disease

Lyme disease is commonly found in parts of the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Asia.

Travellers to these areas can become infected and return to Australia with Lyme disease.

A national survey by the CSIRO confirmed that Australian ticks do not carry Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease.

Australian healthcare providers can diagnose and treat Lyme disease.

Lyme disease doesn't spread from person to person.

Other overseas-acquired tick-borne diseases

For information on tick-borne diseases endemic to other countries, see:

See Smartraveller for tips on travelling safely. 

Preventing and managing tick bites

There is no vaccine for tick-borne illnesses, except for Q fever. The best protection against tick-borne illnesses is to prevent tick bites.

Find out how to protect yourself, and what to do if you’re bitten.

What we’re doing

We provide national-level information and advice on tick bite prevention and tick-borne diseases. This includes rickettsial infections such as Australian spotted fever, Flinders Island spotted fever, Queensland tick typhus and Q fever.

Senate Inquiry

The Senate Inquiry into access to diagnosis and treatment for people in Australia with tick-borne diseases published its final report in March 2025. 

The Australian Government published its response in November 2025.

Learn more

For more information about tick bite diseases and their symptoms, and how to prevent and manage bites see:

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