TICKS THAT TRANSMIT LYME TO MAN
Deer Tick Pacific Black-legged Tick
Photo by John VanDyk, Iowa State Univ.
Dime
SIZE OF TICK
Lyme is transmitted to man primarily by the nymph stage of the deer and Pacific Coast Black-legged
ticks.
White-tailed Deer
MAJOR RESERVOIR OF LYME DISEASE
Deer Mouse
MAJOR RESERVOIR OF LYME DISEASE
TRANSMISSION OF LYME DISEASE TO MAN
Lyme is transmitted from the reservoir species to man primarily by the nymph stage of the tick.
TRANSMISSION OF LYME DISEASE TO MAN
The tick waits on a blade of grass or leaf of a shrub with its front legs extended. It crawls onto the potential host when it brushes against the extended front legs.
Lyme is the most common arthropod-borne disease of man in the U.S.
Human Cases of Lyme
DISTRIBUTION OF LYME IN U.S.
COMMON EARLY SYMPTOMS
• Fever• Head Ache• Fatigue• Muscle Pain• Rash
COMMON EARLY SYMPTOMS
Bulls Eye Rash: Erythema Migrans
CHRONIC SYMPTOMS
• Joint Pain• Arthritis• Facial paralysis
SEEKING MEDICAL HELP
If you get any symptoms of tick‑borne diseases in the months following a tick bite, such as a rash or flu-like symptoms, tell your physician that you have been bitten by a tick.
PREVENTION
Stay in the middle of trails to avoid ticks waiting in overhanging grass and brush.
Wear long-legged pants and, for extra protection, long-sleeved shirt and hat.Tuck pant legs into socks or boots to make it more difficult for ticks to reach skin.
PREVENTION
Tuck shirt into pants to make it more difficult for ticks to reach skin.
PREVENTION
• Wear light colored clothing to more easily see ticks.
• Inspect your clothes frequently for ticks when in tick habitat. Have a companion inspect your back.
PREVENTION
• Use repellant deet on exposed skin.
• Use repellant permethryn on pants, shoes and socks.
• Always follow manufacturer’s directions.
PREVENTION
When you get in from the field, inspect your entire body carefully, including your head and back. Have a companion inspect areas you cannot see, use a mirror, or feel for ticks with your fingers.
PREVENTION
THE END
