Where there are deer, there are ticks. Because we live and work around these animals, it’s important to be cautious. The only tick known to transmit Lyme disease to humans and animals is the deer tick, also called the black-legged tick. Studies show that an infected tick usually cannot transmit the disease until it has been attached to its host for approximately 24 to 72 hours. Your best defense is to check yourself at least once a day and remove any ticks before they become engorged with blood.

WHAT IS LYME DISEASE?

Lyme disease is an infection transmitted by the bite of black-legged ticks, commonly known as deer ticks. It can affect the skin, heart, nerves, or joints, but it can be treated and usually cured with antibiotics.

STAGES AND SYMPTOMS

Lyme disease has three stages: early, early disseminated, and late.

EARLY LYME

The first stage of Lyme disease is called early Lyme disease. Symptoms usually appear days to weeks after infection and may include:

• Fatigue

• Chills and fever

• Muscle and joint pain

• Headache

• Swollen lymph nodes

• Erythema migrans (a circular, red “bull’s-eye” rash)

Erythema migrans is the skin rash associated with Lyme disease. It is an expanding rash that usually appears at or near the site of the tick bite. The rash may develop anywhere from three days to one month after the bite, but most often appears within seven to 14 days. The center of the rash may clear as it grows, giving it a “bull’s-eye” appearance. The rash may feel warm but is usually not painful.

Erythema migrans is different from a rash caused by an allergic reaction to a tick or insect bite. Allergic reactions usually appear within hours to one day after a bite, do not expand, and typically disappear within a day or two.

EARLY DISSEMINATED LYME

The second stage of Lyme disease is called early disseminated Lyme disease. This stage occurs weeks to months after the bite of an infected tick, as the infection begins to spread and affect various body systems. 

Possible symptoms include:

• Numbness or pain in the arms or legs

• Paralysis of facial muscles, usually on one side of the face

• Meningitis, which may cause fever, stiff neck, and severe headaches

• Abnormal heartbeat (rare)

DISSEMINATED LYME

The third stage of Lyme disease is called late disseminated Lyme disease. This stage can occur weeks, months, or even years after infection in untreated patients. Symptoms may include:

• Chronic Lyme arthritis: brief bouts of pain and swelling, usually in one or more large joints, especially the knees

• Nervous system problems, including memory loss and difficulty concentrating

• Chronic muscle pain and/or restless sleep

HOW DOES LYME DISEASE SPREAD?

The bacteria that cause Lyme disease enter the body when an infected tick attaches to the skin to feed on blood. In most cases, the tick must be attached for about 24 to 72 hours to transmit the disease.

Not all ticks carry Lyme disease. In New England, the black-legged tick is the primary vector, but not all black-legged ticks are infected. Most cases of Lyme disease occur in a few highly affected areas.

TREATMENT

Early treatment of Lyme disease with antibiotics almost always results in a full cure. However, the chances of a complete recovery decrease if treatment is delayed. Delays in treatment increase the risk that the infection will progress to later stages, which can involve joints, nervous system, or heart, making recovery slower and sometimes incomplete.

SIMPLE PRECAUTIONS

While outdoors, a few simple precautions can reduce your chance of being bitten by ticks:

• Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts to minimize exposed skin.

• Tuck your pants into your socks to create a barrier against ticks.

• Wear light-colored clothing to make ticks easier to spot.

• Check your body carefully for ticks, looking for what may appear as a tiny freckle or speck of dirt.

• If you find a tick and believe it has bitten you, monitor for symptoms and know that early removal greatly reduces the risk of infection.

TICK TIPS

• After returning home, put clothes in the dryer on high heat for 20 minutes to kill any ticks that may be present.

• Deer ticks cannot jump, fly, or drop from above; people get ticks through direct contact with vegetation or animals.

• Use fine-tipped tweezers to carefully remove any attached ticks, grasping them as close to the skin as possible and pulling straight out.

• Use tick and insect repellents containing DEET or permethrin to help reduce the risk of Lyme disease.