Danger Level: Medium

What is it?

Lyme disease is an infectious disease transmitted by ticks.

Who gets it?

Lyme disease is prevalent in the United States, where it commonly occurs in three regions: the northeast and mid-Atlantic states (from Maine to Virginia), the midwest (Minnesota and Wisconsin), and on the west coast (in northern California). It also occurs in Europe, across the former Soviet Union, and in China and Japan.

It usually occurs in the late spring, summer, and early fall.

What causes it?

The disease is spread by ticks with the exotic name of Ixodes scapularis, or simply deer tick. They are carried by mice or by deer. The ticks wait for a new host on the grass or on shrubs, often in the borders of forests. When they sense that a human is near by, they will attach to it. In 24 hours, the tick will start feeding on the human’s blood, and by this way they will pass a bacteria they carry, called Borrelia burgdorferi. This bacteria causes Lyme.

It takes between 48-72 hours for the tick to pass the bacteria.

The deer tick. Isn’t she a beauty?

How does it feel?

The disease has 3 stages:

Stage 1 – Early localized disease

The first sign of the disease is a rash called erythema migrans (EM). The most common areas for the rash are the armpit, groin, backs of the knees, or belt line. It shows between 3-32 days after the tick bites. It starts as a red area, which expands, leaving the area inside with a normal color, creating a bull’s eye appearance. The rash can itch or burn.

Picture of an erythema migrans. (by Optigan13)

Other things that can happen in this stage are tiredness, fever, headache, muscle and joint pain.

Stage 2 – Early disseminated disease

Here the bacteria spread to other areas of the body and cause inflammation there. It happens days-weeks after the tick bite.

It can cause inflammation of the heart (which can cause heart rate problems), of the brain (where it can cause meningitis – inflammation of the brain’s coverings) and of nerves.

Other symptoms at this stage include a feeling like you have the flu, including weakness, chills and fever. It can also include headache, a stiff neck, muscle pain and joint pain.

Stage 3 – Late disease

This occurs months to years after the tick bite, if it’s not treated. It contains:

1. Joint pain and inflammation

2. Neurologic symptoms – Including nerve pain, difficulty with memory or thinking, and numbness.

3. Sometimes skin problems

How is it discovered?

Whenever a patient comes with a history of a tick bite (although you can’t always recall having been bitten), and the typical rash and other symptoms, the doctor will run blood tests that can discover the bacteria in the blood.

How is it treated?

The treatment for the disease is antibiotics. It responds best to antibiotics in its early stages.

What happens after treatment?

If the disease is treated early, the treatment is the most effective. When treated later, the treatment is still effective, but it might take longer to heal.

The best thing you can do to avoid it is avoid being infested with the tick. There are several things you can do:

1. Wear long-sleeved shirts and long trousers tucked into your socks. This will keep the ticks away.

2. Wear light-colored clothing – This way you will be able to spot ticks better on your clothes.

3. Use tick repellents or tick-killing products – Such as products that contain DEET. You should consult your doctor before using it. Another option is Picaridin or permethrin.

4. When you come in from the outdoors it’s important to inspect the skin to look for ticks – Especially in the armpits, groin, backs of the knees, belt line, and the scalp.

If you were bitten by a tick, the first thing to do is remove it. For this you have to use a pair of fine tweezers and grip the tick as close to the skin as possible. Then pull it backwards gently but firmly, without jerking or twisting. Don’t squeeze the tick, since its body fluids might contain the bacteria. After removing the tick, wash the skin and hands thoroughly with soap and water.

If any mouth parts of the tick remain in the skin, these should be left alone; they will be expelled on their own.

What next?

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