Who’s At Risk Of Lyme Disease
The risk of getting Lyme disease is higher:
- for people who spend time in woodland or moorland areas
- from March to October because more people take part in outdoor activities
It’s thought only a small proportion of ticks carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Being bitten doesn’t mean you’ll definitely be infected. However, it’s important to be aware of the risk and speak to a GP if you start to feel unwell.
What Is The Difference Between A Tick And A Spider
Both spiders and ticks are arachnids, but ticks arent spiders rather. Ticks are a mite species, and mites are tiny, primarily parasitic pests that often cause itchy bites that can transmit various diseases.
Spiders and ticks are built differently. Both are arthropods invertebrates with external skeletons and jointed legs, but spiders have segmented bodies while ticks do not, and Spiders have a separate cephalothorax and abdomen. Ticks have small, flat, unsegmented bodies that enable them to attach easily to a host.
These arachnid cousins have very different diets as well. Most spiders consume insects, but some will eat nectar, pollen, seeds, leaves, web silk, or dead arthropods. Some even eat their exoskeleton after shedding it! Larger spider species may consume small lizards, birds, bats, or fish. Humans, pets, and livestock are only part of the spider diet in monster movies, and they do not seek out humans as dietary staples.
On the other hand, ticks feed on the blood of mammals people, pets, wild animals and livestock, as well as on birds, reptiles, and amphibians. They are parasites that latch onto their host with their mouthparts, feasting on a blood meal.
See Your Doctor After A Tick Bite If You Notice A Bulls
Do the same if you notice a bite either from a tick you found or from an unknown source thats not acting like a mosquito bite. If the rash is any bigger than a highly localized red spot like a mosquito bite then go see a doctor, he says. Likewise, see your doctor if you feel any flu-like symptoms, muscle aches, or chills within a week to 10 days of the bite, all of which can be indicative of tick-borne infections, he adds.
If a doctor suspects you may have contracted Lyme or some other type of infection, he or she will prescribe antibiotics, either oral or possibly intravenous, to treat the problem.
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Where Are Ticks That Carry Lyme Disease Found
Ticks that carry Lyme disease can be found anywhere their hosts live, in short, anywhere in the world. They prefer moist shady areas. The phrase deer tick, the name commonly used for the species of ticks that carry Lyme disease, is somewhat of a misnomer. Although deer are important as reproductive hosts in the lifecycle of these ticks, other vertebrate animals actually infect the ticks with disease organisms not the deer. These animals include white-footed mice, chipmunks, shrews, several species of ground feeding birds , and many other small mammals. Lyme disease ticks can be found in:
- Tall grass, bushy areas and beach grass
- Areas planted with pachysandra or other ground covers
- Lawn perimeters where they meet forest, woodlot or garden edges
If The Tick Has Dropped Off
While tick bites dont immediately itch like other bug bites, they can still cause a red welt or itchy lesion to rise on the skin after the tick has dropped away, Ostfeld says.
The size and quality of this lesion can vary a lot from person to person, he says, and so it may be impossible to differentiate a tick bite from a mosquito bite. If the tick that bit you was not carrying Lyme disease or some other infection, the bite is likely to resemble a mosquito bite and quickly fade away.
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But if you find a tick on your skin or notice an itchy lesion that doesnt go away within a few days, that could indicate Lyme disease or some other kind of tick-borne infection. The same is true of a large, bulls-eye-shaped skin lesion something that looks like a red welt surrounded by one or more outer rings of inflamed red skin. This bulls-eye rash is a hallmark of Lyme disease.
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About Ticks And Lyme Disease
Ticks are small crawling bugs in the spider family. They are arachnids, not insects. There are hundreds of different kinds of ticks in the world. Many of them carry bacteria, viruses or other pathogens that cause disease in humans and/or animals.
In the midwestern and eastern United States, Ixodes scapularis or deer tick is the primary vector of Lyme disease. On the West Coast, the spirochete is carried by Ixodes pacificus or western black-legged tick. In the South, lone star ticks can also transmit Lyme disease or a closely related illness.
Ticks have four life stages: egg, larva, nymph and adult. In each stage after hatching, they suck blood from animals like mice, squirrels, birds and deer. Then they drop off, enter a dormant period and molt to enter the next stage.
Ticks dont start out being infected with Lyme. They get it by feeding on an infected animal, often a mouse or other small rodent. Then, they pass it along to the next animal or person they bite.
How Is Lyme Disease Treated
Your healthcare provider will figure out the best treatment for you based on:
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How old you are
Lyme disease in the earliest stage is usually treated with antibiotics for 2 to 3 weeks.
Treatment will also be considered based on these and other factors:
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If you are bitten by a tick that tests positive for the bacteria that causes Lyme disease
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If you are bitten by a tick and have any of the symptoms
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If you are bitten by a tick and are pregnant
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If you are bitten by a tick and live in a high-risk area
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Lyme Disease In Spiders Mosquitoes And Other Insects
Richard Horowitz, MD
Richard Horowitz, MD, medical director of the Hudson Valley Healing Arts Center, in Hyde Park, New York. He has treated more than 13,000 chronic Lyme disease patients over the last 31 years. He is a member of the US Department of Health and Human Services Tick-Borne Disease Working Group, cochair of the HHS Other Tick-Borne Diseases and Co-Infections Subcommittee and the author of How Can I Get Better? An Action Plan for Treating Resistant Lyme & Chronic Disease. The views expressed here are those of Dr. Richard Horowitz, and do not represent the views of the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group, the US Department of Health and Human Services or the United States.
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Ticks are tiny, but their bites can pack a gigantic wallop.
These small, spider-like arachnids feed off the blood of humans and animals. Sometimes they pass along Borrelia burgdorferi, which is the bacteria that causesLyme disease, says Nathan Hofmann, FNP. If the tick is embedded in your skin for more than 24 hours, thats long enough for the bacteria to be transmitted into you, he adds. If not treated quickly with antibiotics,Lyme disease can lead to painful and long-lasting health problems.
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What Is Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is an infection caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. This spiral shaped bacterium is most commonly spread by a tick bite. The disease takes its name from Lyme, Connecticut. This is where the illness was first identified in the United States in 1975.
Although Lyme disease is a year-round problem, April through October is considered tick season. Cases of Lyme disease have been reported in nearly all states in the U.S. and in large areas in Europe and Asia, but the most common areas are the Northeast, upper Midwest and northwestern states.
Are Ticks Related To Spiders
Ticks are more closely related to spiders than they are to insects. Like spiders, they are a part of the arachnid family, along with mites and scorpions. Both spiders and adult ticks have eight legs and lack antennae and wings. Can ticks spin webs? Unlike their spider cousins, ticks are opportunistic predators, waiting for their prey to wander close enough to latch onto.
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What Are The Complications Of Lyme Disease
Lyme disease affects people differently. Relapse and incomplete treatment responses happen. Relapse and incomplete treatment responses happen. Complications of untreated early-stage disease include:
-
Frequent hospitalizations to manage the disease
Some of these complications result in chronic, debilitating conditions.
Some people may develop post-Lyme disease syndrome . A condition also known as chronic Lyme disease includes PLDS, but also other syndromes. Usually, these are characterized by persistent musculoskeletal and peripheral nerve pain, fatigue, and memory impairment.
Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus
Eastern Equine Encephalitis is a virus transmitted by infected mosquitos. Only a few cases are reported in the United States each year and most occur in eastern or Gulf Coast States. There were 4 of 38 total cases reported in Connecticut in 2019.
The incubation period for Eastern equine encephalitis virus disease ranges from 4 to 10 days. It can result in a systemic febrile illness or neurologic disease. The type of illness will depend on the age of the person and other host factors. Some people who become infected with EEEV may be asymptomatic .
Symptoms of systemic infection include:
The illness lasts 1 to 2 weeks, and most people recover completely when there is no central nervous system involvement.
Signs and symptoms of central nervous system involvement include:
In infants, neurologic disease often occurs soon after onset in older children and adults, encephalitis may occur after several days of systemic illness. Approximately a third of all people with encephalitis due to EEEV infection die. Death usually occurs 2 to 10 days after onset of symptoms but can occur much later. Of those who recover, many are left with physical or mental sequelae, and require long-term supportive care
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Symptoms Of Lyme Disease
Many people with early symptoms of Lyme disease develop a circular rash around the tick bite. The rash:
- usually develops around 3 to 30 days after you’ve been bitten
- is often described as looking like a bull’s-eye on a dart board
- will be red and the edges may feel slightly raised
- may get bigger over several days or weeks
- is typically around 15 cm across, but it can be much larger or smaller
Some people may develop several rashes in different parts of their body.
Around 1 in 3 people with Lyme disease won’t develop a rash.
Signs And Symptoms Of Untreated Lyme Disease
Seek medical attention if you observe any of these symptoms and have had a tick bite, live in an area known for Lyme disease, or have recently traveled to an area where Lyme disease occurs.
Untreated Lyme disease can produce a wide range of symptoms, depending on the stage of infection. These include fever, rash, facial paralysis, and arthritis.
The appearance of the erythema migrans rash can vary widely.
- Fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes may occur in the absence of rash
- Erythema migrans rash :
- Occurs in approximately 70 to 80 percent of infected persons
- Begins at the site of a tick bite after a delay of 3 to 30 days
- Expands gradually over several days reaching up to 12 inches or more across
- May feel warm to the touch but is rarely itchy or painful
- Sometimes clears as it enlarges, resulting in a target or bulls-eye appearance
- May appear on any area of the body
- Does not always appear as a classic erythema migrans rash
Swollen Knee
- Severe headaches and neck stiffness
- Additional EM rashes on other areas of the body
- Arthritis with severe joint pain and swelling, particularly the knees and other large joints.
- Intermittent pain in tendons, muscles, joints, and bones
- Heart palpitations or an irregular heart beat
- Episodes of dizziness or shortness of breath
- Inflammation of the brain and spinal cord
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A Tick Bite Doesnt Feel Like A Mosquito Bite
Many people think theyll be able to feel when a tick bites them, just like they feel a mosquito bite.
But ticks are sneaky little bloodsuckers, and theyve evolved with some sophisticated, almost science fiction-like mechanisms.
Their saliva contains natural anesthetic and immune suppressors to ensure that you dont feel anything at all when they jab you to feed, reports the Internal Lyme and Associated Diseases Society .
The less access the ticks have to your skin, the better. Wear light-colored clothing and tuck your long-sleeved shirt into your pants and your pants into your socks.
Does The Time Of Year Matter In The Diagnosis Of Lyme Disease
Since Lyme disease is a tick-borne infection, the seasonality of the disease is linked tightly to the life cycle and behavior of ticks. May, June, July, and early August are the biggest risk months for acquiring first stage Lyme disease in the US. This is the feeding time for nymph and adolescent ticks which are difficult to see. A viral-like illness in those early summer months might be Lyme disease. There is also some transmission of Lyme disease via adult ticks in the fall and winter and throughout the year anytime the temperature is above 40 degrees, but to a lesser degree.
The risk of acute Lyme disease is more of a year-round risk in more temperate regions such as northern California and the pacific northwest. Later stage Lyme disease, however, can manifest at any time.
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What Are The 3 Stages Of Lyme Disease
- Stage 1 is called early localized Lyme disease. The bacteria have not yet spread throughout the body.
- Stage 2 is called early disseminated Lyme disease. The bacteria have begun to spread throughout the body.
- Stage 3 is called late disseminated Lyme disease.
How Are Ticks Related To Spiders
August 18, 2022 by Brian Kelly
When it comes to bugs, not all creepy-crawly critters are created equally. Some bugs are insects, and some are not. Insects are small, six-legged animals, often with wings. Ticks may be small, and some may have six legs when theyre young, but ticks arent insects. Theyre arachnids and share more characteristics with spiders than ants, flies, beetles, and other insects.
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What A Doctor Will Do
Doctors don’t need to treat most tick bites. But if the tick was carrying Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain spotted fever and passed it on, any symptoms that might mean you are sick will be treated with antibiotics. Your doctor might ask to see the tick to help make a diagnosis. If these diseases are treated early on, it’s rare for there to be any lasting changes to a person’s health.
Lyme Disease: Symptoms And Stages
Symptoms of early-stage Lyme disease include:
- muscle and joint aches
- swollen lymph nodes
Another common symptom of Lyme disease is a rash . As many as 80% of infected people may develop a rash, and roughly 20% of the time the rash has a characteristic bull’s-eye appearance.
When left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system.
Later-stage symptoms may not appear until weeks or months after a tick bite occurs. They include:
- heart-rhythm irregularities
- nervous system abnormalities
Permanent damage to the joints or the nervous system can develop in patients with late Lyme disease. It is rarely, if ever, fatal.
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What Is The Difference Between This Indirect Blood Diagnostic Test And A Direct Test
Direct diagnostic tests measure the presence of the bacteria directly and are much more reliable than tests looking for indirect measurement of antibodies that measure a persons immune response to an infection. Lyme disease diagnoses and disease management would benefit from validated diagnostic tests that directly measure the infection such as a culture, PCR test, or antigen detection tests. Direct tests are vital to the management of other infectious diseases such as HIV, hepatitis C, strep, and COVID-19, but have not yet become widely available for Lyme disease.
How Ticks Can Make You Sick
Despite the prevalence of ticks and the exposure theyve garnered in the news, many people are still in the dark about tick-borne diseases. The CDC reports that a national survey shows that 20 percent of people living in an area where Lyme disease is common were not aware of the risks. And those risks are substantial. Somewhere between 20 and 40 percent of blacklegged ticks carry Lyme, says Richard Ostfeld, PhD, a disease ecologist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in New York.
Heres a primer on the best ways to avoid ticks, how to identify their bites, and what to do about a bite if one is discovered.
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Claim: ‘just One Of Me Eats Up To 5000 Ticks A Year’
Unproven. Weve rated this claim as unproven because while it is true that opossums are good groomers and are known to eat ticks, it is not clear just how many bugs they are capable of eating in a season.
The 5,000 estimate was presented in a blog post published by the National Wildlife Federation that cited the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, both of which are based on a 2009 study.
As writer Ken Perrotte described in an article published in Field and Stream, this claim is largely based on a study published in the biological research journal, Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Researchers in New York trapped six opossums in cages, inoculated each with 100 larval ticks, and left the parasites attached for four days . At the end of the study period, the researchers counted the ticks, either on the animal or on the floor of the cage, and assumed that those unaccounted for had been consumed by their host. From this limited dataset, they concluded that opossums, along with squirrels included in the study, killed between 83% and 96.5% of ticks, a number that was extrapolated to 5,000 ticks each season.
But that theory was tested in September 2021. Scientists publishing their work in the scientific journal Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases reviewed 23 papers that described opossums’ eating behavior and analyzed the stomachs of 32 Virginia opossums from Illinois and did not find evidence of ticks.