Tick-borne fever

This code represents a febrile illness caused by a tick-borne pathogen, characterized by fever, headache, and myalgia, often without a rash. It encompasses various non-specific tick-borne infections that do not have a more specific ICD-9-CM code.

Use this code when documentation indicates a diagnosis of "tick-borne fever," "undifferentiated tick fever," or similar terms where a specific tick-borne disease (e.g., Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever) is not identified. Supporting documentation should confirm tick exposure and a febrile illness.

• Do not use if a more specific tick-borne disease is documented (e.g., 088.81 for Lyme disease).
• Consider sequencing this code as the primary diagnosis if it is the reason for the encounter.
• Ensure documentation clearly links the fever to a tick bite or exposure.