What Ticks Cause Lyme Disease

Lyme Disease: Symptoms And Stages

Symptoms of early-stage Lyme disease include:

• muscle and joint aches
• fatigue
• 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
• arthritis
• 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.

Which Ticks Carry Lyme Disease

There are hundreds of different kinds of ticks throughout the world. The Ixodes tick, commonly called a black-legged tick, are ticks that carry Lyme disease. In the eastern and mid-western U.S, the primary species is Ixodes scapularis and the related western U.S. version is the Ixodes pacificus .

These ticks that carry Lyme disease can also carry bacterial co-infections, such as Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, and Anaplasmosis. While Lyme disease is the most common infection from a tick, co-infections can complicate ones Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment. Learn more about ticks and the other diseases they can cause in the U.S.

Hire Tick Pest Control Company

A professional tick spraying company will treat all the areas where ticks live around your property. It is necessary to treat horizontal surfaces like your lawn but, more importantly, vertical surfaces such as ornamentals and high grass areas that act as tick breeding areas. Professional tick pest control companies will treat your property every three to four weeks to maintain tick population reduction.

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Ticks Carrying Lyme Disease Are On The Rise In Quebec Experts Warn

With summer approaching, more Quebecers are heading outdoors — but health authorities are issuing a warning about Lyme disease because of an increase in ticks.

In the Montérégie region, public health says there’s been a 50 per cent increase in cases.

“If we talk about Montérégie, ticks are present in the whole region,” said Dr. Francois Milord, a Lyme disease expert and consultant for the department.

The disease is carried by these ticks. When they bite humans, they spread a bacteria into the bloodstream, which can cause fatigue, aches and a sore throat.

The most telling sign is a rash that looks like a bullseye.

“It’s a redness that will increase over a few days and be over five centimetres,” said Dr. Milord.

Left untreated, Lyme disease can lead to more serious problems affecting the nervous system.

If you think you’ve been bitten by a tick, doctors say the first thing to do is remove it before seeing a pharmacist who can prescribe the antibiotic Doxycycline.

Last month, the Quebec government announced it will open 15 specialized clinics that will focus on long-COVID and Lyme disease.

Experts have also pointed to a link between climate change and ticks, as warmer weather helps them survive and reproduce.

Animals like birds, mice and deer can carry the ticks, and their loss of habitat may also be driving the spread.

“This increases both the transport of these ticks, so these animals can move these ticks over long distances, and this puts humans at risk,” Baumgartner said.

Symptoms Of Lyme Disease

People with Lyme disease may react to it differently, and the symptoms can vary in severity.

Although Lyme disease is commonly divided into three stages early localized, early disseminated, and late disseminated symptoms can overlap. Some people will also present in a later stage of disease without having symptoms of earlier disease.

These are some of the more common symptoms of Lyme disease:

• a flat, circular rash that looks like a red oval or bulls-eye anywhere on your body

• other flu-like symptoms

These symptoms may occur soon after the infection, or months or years later.

Your child may have Lyme disease and not have the bulls-eye rash. According to an early study, results showed roughly 89 percent of children had a rash.

Lyme disease is best treated in the early stages. Treatment for early localized disease is a simple 10- to 14-day course of oral antibiotics to eliminate the infection.

Medications used to treat Lyme disease include:

• doxycycline, amoxicillin, or cefuroxime, which are first-line treatments in adults and children
• cefuroxime and amoxicillin, which are used to treat women who are nursing or breastfeeding

Intravenous antibiotics are used for some forms of Lyme disease, including those with cardiac or central nervous system involvement.

After improvement and to finish the course of treatment, healthcare providers will typically switch to an oral regimen. The complete course of treatment usually takes 1428 days.

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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.

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How Long Does It Take The Tick To Transmit Lyme

Experts disagree about how long it takes a tick to transmit Lyme disease. The CDC says that in most cases, the tick must be attached more than 24 hours.

We think that gives people a false sense of security. In some research studies, 5-7% of nymphs transmitted the Lyme bacteria in less than 24 hours. One paper reported on a case of Lyme disease transmitted after six hours of tick attachment. The risk may be low the first day, but its not zero.

Furthermore, some studies show that only 30% of patients with Lyme disease recall a tick bite. If people dont even realize that they were bitten, how could they know how long the tick was attached?

The longer a tick stays on you, the more likely it will transmit disease. Its important to find and remove any tick as soon as possible.

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Lyme Disease Test And Treatment

If you think you may have Lyme disease, contact your physician right away.

Your doctor may do a test for Lyme disease. The FDA regulates diagnostic tests to ensure that they are safe and effective. Its important to know that blood tests that check for antibodies to the bacterium that causes Lyme disease are not useful if done soon after a tick bite. It typically takes 2 to 5 weeks after a tick bite for initial antibodies to develop.

For this reason, your doctor may recommend treatment with antibiotics before the diagnostic tests are complete. According to the CDC, patients treated with appropriate antibiotics in the early stages of Lyme disease usually recover rapidly and completely.

Be Smart About Outdoor Activities

If you know youll be spending time outdoors in the summer, be aware of ticks. Look for a non-toxic bug spray that contains Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus. Its even recommended by the CDC.

When you come inside, check your clothing and body for ticks. Take a nice, hot shower to wash off unattached ticks and give yourself the opportunity of doing a tick check. You can also throw your clothes in the washer and or dryer at high heat to kill the ticks and keep them from taking up residence in your home. If you have pets, make sure to check them, too.

The CDC recommends this body part checklist after coming in from outdoors:

• Under the arms
• In and around the hair
• Between the legs
• Around the waist

These are some favorite places for ticks to attach. Youre less likely to contract Lyme if you dont allow the ticks to bite in the first place.

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How Is Lyme Disease Treated

Your healthcare provider will figure out the best treatment for you based on:

• 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:

• If you are bitten by a tick that tests positive for the bacteria that causes Lyme disease

• If you are bitten by a tick and have any of the symptoms

• If you are bitten by a tick and are pregnant

• If you are bitten by a tick and live in a high-risk area

Ticks And Lyme Disease What You Need To Know

• May 15th, 2020

Tick bites are common and with the increasing prevalence of Lyme disease in our area, tick bites cause a lot of worry for parents and children. If you or your child gets a tick bite dont panic, it is important to make note of the size, color, and shape of the tick and to remove the tick promptly.

Our patients and their parents have been asking a lot of excellent questions about tick bites and Lyme disease. Please find the answers to these frequently asked questions below and call us with any questions or concerns.

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My Friend Had A Tick Bite And Her Doctor Prescribed A Dose Of Antibiotics To Prevent Lyme Disease When Are Prophylactic Antibiotics Recommended

Limited data is available on the benefit of using prophylactic antibiotics in children following a tick bite. The only antibiotic used for this prophylaxis is doxycycline.

Its use is only recommended if the following five criteria are met:

Ask your provider for more information if you think you or your child may need a prophylactic dose of doxycycline following a tick bite.

It is important to get outside and play, hike, and explore. The possibility of tick bites should not prevent you and your children from enjoying the outdoors. Being diligent about tick prevention and tick checks will go a long way in avoiding tick-borne illnesses.

Remember that even if a tick bite occurs, the risk of Lyme disease remains low. Please do not hesitate to call Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center at 674-7337 or the Ottauquechee Health Center at 457-3030 if you have any questions or concerns. We are here to help.

What Types Of Ticks Transmit Lyme Disease

In the northeast, Mid-Atlantic and north-central states, deer ticks or black-legged ticks are the only ticks known to transmit Lyme disease. On the Pacific coast, the ticks that transmit Lyme disease are the western black-legged tick . Dog ticks and other kinds of ticks are not known to cause Lyme disease.

The most visible sign of Lyme disease is the characteristic rash called erythema migrans or ‘bull’s eye.’ This rash usually develops within one month of the tick bite. It typically occurs at the site of the bite, starting as a red area and then expanding in size over days and weeks.

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Nymph Ticks Are Most Active Now And Theyre Most Likely To Transmit Infections To Humans

A single tick will progress through four stages of development in its lifetime: egg, larva, nymph, and adult. The nymph tick is most active in the spring through the summer months, and its about the size of a poppy seed.

And they dont pack less of a punch because of their size. Nymph ticks are actually the most likely to transmit Lyme disease or another tick-borne infection to humans than ticks at other stages, according to the CDC .

Less than two millimeters in size, nymphs can bite people and remain virtually undetected. They also burrow into your or your pets skin.

Although adult ticks may also transmit Lyme disease, theyre much larger, so youre more likely to see them and promptly remove them.

The Wellness Way Can Help

The body was designed to heal. Its just a matter of removing the barriers to healing including infections. Fortunately, the earth is full of anti-infectious herbs that can help fight unwanted parasites and allow the body to heal itself. Seeing a Wellness Way practitioner and doing the appropriate testing and protocols will go a long way in helping the body get back to a balanced immune response, healing, and repair. If youre concerned about the potential of Chronic Lyme, make an appointment with your local Wellness Way Clinic and start your journey back to health!

Resources:

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Preventing Tick Bites And Lyme Disease

There are several easy ways to protect yourself from an encounter with Lyme-transmitting ticks:

• Steer clear of areas that are known to have an infestation of ticksâlike tall grasses and leaf piles.
• If hiking in the outdoors, stay in the center of the trail.
• Wear protective clothing, like long-sleeve shirts, pants tucked into your socks, and appropriate shoes.
• Remove and inspect your clothing before and after moving through a high-risk area and examine yourself for ticks.

What If A Tick Bites My Dog

The more ticks in your region, the likelier it is that your furry pal will bring them home.

Your dog is much more likely to be bitten by a tick than you are. And where Lyme disease is common, up to 25% of dogs have had it at some point.

About 10% of dogs with Lyme disease will get sick. 7-21 days after a tick bite, your dog might seem like theyâre walking on eggshells. They also might have a fever and enlarged lymph nodes. Plus, they might seem tired. Dogs also get antibiotics for Lyme.

What if my dog brings ticks into my home?

Use a tick control product on your pet to prevent Lyme disease. Also, have your dog vaccinated against Lyme.

Check your dogâs whole body each day for bumps. If you notice a swollen area, see if thereâs a tick there. If you find a tick, wear gloves while you use tweezers to separate it from your dog. Then, put it in soapy water or alcohol, or flush it down the toilet.

Use alcohol to clean the spot on your dog where the tick was attached. Keep an eye on that spot, and also on your dog to make sure theyâre behaving normally. If you notice any changes, check with your vet.

Show Sources

John Aucott, MD, assistant professor of medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine director, Johns Hopkins Lyme Disease Clinical Research Center.

CDC.

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: âVital Signs: Trends in Reported Vectorborne Disease Cases — United States and Territories, 2004-2016.â

American College of Rheumatology.

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Lyme Disease Tick Infection Maps

These maps show the percentage of adult and nymph collected during 20172020 that were infected with Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of . The ticks were collected in the field by the Indiana State Department of Health and tested at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . This map will be updated as ISDH continues to conduct surveillance for B. burgdorferi in ticks.

Counties colored darker blue had higher percentages of infected ticks, while counties colored lighter blue had lower percentages of infected ticks. Counties colored white had ticks collected, but none were positive. Counties colored light grey had sampling conducted, but no Ixodes scapularis ticks were found. Counties colored dark grey did not have sampling conducted during 20172020.

Each county is labeled with the number of ticks that were tested. The reported percentages from counties with small numbers of ticks tested should be interpreted with caution. For example, a county with only one tick tested would be colored darker blue if that tick were positive for B. burgdorferi, but this is not enough data to draw conclusions about the entire county.

For interactive versions of these maps, .

For maps and statistics describing human cases of Lyme disease in Indiana, .

When Should You See A Doctor If You Think You Have Lyme

The rash is a pretty good indication that you may have been bitten. Take a photo of the rash and see your doctor. At this stage, treatment with antibiotics will probably work.

If you don’t have the rash but have symptoms like fatigue, fever, and headache but no respiratory symptoms like a cough, you may want to talk to your doctor.

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My Friend Had A Tick Bite And Her Doctor Prescribed A Dose Of Antibiotics To Prevent Lyme Disease When Are Prophylactic Antibiotics Recommended

Limited data is available on the benefit of using prophylactic antibiotics in children following a tick bite. The only antibiotic used for this prophylaxis is doxycycline.

Its use is only recommended if the following five criteria are met:

Ask your provider for more information if you think you or your child may need a prophylactic dose of doxycycline following a tick bite.

It is important to get outside and play, hike, and explore. The possibility of tick bites should not prevent you and your children from enjoying the outdoors. Being diligent about tick prevention and tick checks will go a long way in avoiding tick-borne illnesses.

Remember that even if a tick bite occurs, the risk of Lyme disease remains low. Please do not hesitate to call Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center at 674-7337 or the Ottauquechee Health Center at 457-3030 if you have any questions or concerns. We are here to help.

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