Many tick bitten folks also have the helminths I have, or other species, those that infect rodents which the nymphs feed on.  My LLMD makes use of what I can relate to her.  Things exotic have been coming into the US for a long time.  The depigmentation of elephants ears is similar to the depigmentation seen in humans who have riverblindness, for example.  Yet we go with the mantra, they're not here in the US!  Baloney!