I discovered a tick bite about a week ago after being in a tick infested area about a week or so prior to that. The tick was no longer in the bite, which means it had had plenty of time to feed and spread infection. I found a red, expanding rash on the back of my neck, and had enlarged and sore lymph nodes and a headache. We do not have the black-legged tick, which is the vector for Lyme disease, here in Nebraska, but the Lone Star tick spreads a similar disease.
The treatment for any tick-borne illness is antibiotics (doxycycline or amoxicillin), and the sooner you notice symptoms and get the medication, the less complications you may experience. Many of you may be in Lyme country (such as Northern states like MN and WI), so it's very important that you keep an eye out for an expanding red rash (called a erythema migrans), especially if it shows a bulls-eye pattern, and see your doctor.
Also, use repellent (such as DEET) before entering tick-infested areas and be sure to do a thorough "tick check" afterwards. Ticks wander around the body a bit before they attach, so many times you can get rid of them before they bite you. If you see one attached, use a tweezers to remove it. Ticks usually need to be attached for at least 24 hours before they can spread a disease.
See the following good resources for more information about ticks and tick-borne disease:
Ticks (Nebraska Extension)
Ticks and Tickborne Diseases (CDC)
