Lyme Disease

What is Lyme Disease?

• Most common tick/insect-borne disease in the U.S.• A disease that can cause skin, joint, heart and nervous

system problems.• Named after the town of Lyme, Connecticut• Caused by a specialized type of bacteria called

spirochete.• Transmitted by the bite of an infected tick or flea. Other

insects that feed on animal blood may be involved.

Ticks that cause Lyme disease• Black-legged (or deer) tick: Transmits Lyme disease to humans. Found in north-central and northeastern U.S.

• Lone star tick: Found in Texas and has been know to transmit Lyme disease.

• Rocky Mountain tick: Can transmit Lyme disease as well as Rocky Mountain spotted fever.Deer Ticks

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• Woods

• Grass

• Shrubs

• Piles of leaves and brush

A tick on a blade of grass waiting to grab onto someone!

Where are ticks found?

How do people get bitten?

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• Ticks do not fly or jump.

• Ticks grab onto people (or clothes) when they walk through a grassy or wooded area.

• A tick will then crawl to a feeding spot on the person’s skin.

Lyme Disease: Signs and Symptoms• Stage 1 (Early stage) – 3 to 30 days after bite. – Flu-like symptoms develop within 7 – 14 days.– Symptoms include fatigue, headache, fever and

chills, muscle and joint pain, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and, a non-productive cough.

– Skin lesion(s) may appear as a small red circular rash around the bite and expand.

– Secondary skin rashes appear in nearly 80% of individuals with Lyme disease.

Lyme Disease: Signs and SymptomsTwo stages of Lyme disease:• Stage II (Late) – May occur weeks or months after

the onset of Lyme disease. – Severe headache and neck pain or stiffness.– Arthritis will develop in 60% of patients weeks or

months after infection (rarely more than 2 years).– Fifteen percent of people infected with Lyme disease

develop neurological symptoms, including psychiatric problems.

Diagnosing Lyme Disease• Usually, a tick must bite and stay attached for at

least 24hrs before it can spread Lyme disease.• Notify a doctor if you become ill after being bitten

by a tick.• A diagnosis will be made based on clinical signs

and symptoms and the results of a blood test.

Preventing Lyme Disease• Take protective measures when

outdoors. Wear light-colored clothing so that

ticks can be easily seen. Tuck pants into boots or socks. Use a repellant containing DEET. Walk in the center of trails, and

avoid contact with high grass and brush at trail edges.

• Keep pets free of ticks.

How to remove a tick• Use tweezers to grasp the tick at

the surface of the skin.• If tweezers are not available, use a

tissue to protect your fingers. (Exposure to the tick’s fluids may lead to transmission of the disease).

• With a steady motion, pull the tick straight out.

• After removing tick, disinfect the bite site, and wash hands with soap and water.

Other facts• Lyme disease cannot be transmitted

person-to-person.• People being treated with

antibiotics for Lyme disease should not donate blood. Scientists have found that the Lyme disease bacteria can live in blood stored for donation.

• You cannot get Lyme disease from eating venison or squirrel meat.

ReferencesCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2008).

Lyme disease. Retrieved on March 18, 2008 from http://www.cdc.gov/ ncidod/dvbid/lyme/index.htm.

Texas Department of State Health Services (2005). Lyme disease. (No. 7-35). Austin, TX: Author.

Rawlings, J. (1999). Lyme Disease in Texas. Disease Prevention News 59 (10) 1-4.