Lyme-disease isn't the only tick-borne threat. Doctors warn these other diseases are spreading

(NEXSTAR) – You've likely heard public health officials' repeated pleas to check yourself, your kids and your pets for tick bites, which can spread serious diseases. While Lyme disease gets the most attention – and affects the most people – there are other tick-borne bacteria and diseases that have also been found spreading in the U.S.

Just last month, Connecticut researchers said they identified the first case of a longhorned tick infected with a pathogen called ehrlichia chaffeensis. Infections can give people fever chills, headaches, muscle aches and stomach issues.

"We also worry about a parasite called Babesia, which causes a disease called Babesiosis," said Nicole Baumgarth, a professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health,