Who Is At Risk
Many occupations may be at risk, including forestry, farming, veterinarians, construction, landscaping, ground keepers, park or wildlife management, and anyone who either works outside or has contact with animals that may carry ticks
Similarly, any person who spends a lot time outdoors , especially in grassy or wooded areas may also be at risk.
When Should You Call Your Doctor
- A tick is attached to your body and you are unable to remove the entire tick.
- You have a circular red rash that expands over the course of several days, especially if you know you were recently exposed to ticks. You may also have flu-like symptoms, such as fatigue, headache, stiff neck, fever, chills, or body aches.
- You feel very tired or have joint pain , irregular heartbeats, severe headache, or neck pain.
- You are pregnant or nursing and you think you may have been exposed to ticks.
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.
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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:
- Leaf litter
- 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
Stage : Changing Skin
In stage 3, few signs of Lyme disease appear on the skin. Most problems occur in the heart and nervous system, and these can be serious.
Where you see signs on your skin: If you were in Europe when bit by a tick, you may see changes to your skin in this late stage. These changes usually appear on a hand or foot. Some people develop this change on both of their hands or feet. It can also occur on a knee, elbow, or elsewhere.
What the skin looks like: The skin begins to swell, and you may notice some redness. These signs are caused by having a bacterial infection for a long time. The affected skin may also feel sore.
In time, the skin starts to harden and shrink, causing deep lines to form. If you have hair in the area, it tends to fall out. The sweat glands can die, and the skin often becomes so thin that it tears easily. The medical name for this condition is acrodermatitischronical atrophicans.
In stage 3, you may also see tumors on your skin. It is believed that the long-term infection and swelling in the lymph nodes can lead to a cancer known as cutaneous B-cell lymphoma.
Skin starts to harden and shrink, causing deep lines to form
The medical name for this condition is acrodermatitis chronical atrophicans. Swelling, hardened skin, and deep lines on the foot of someone who has had Lyme disease for years.
When you see signs of changing skin and symptoms: These tend to occur months or years after you are bitten by a tick.
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Arthritis
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Dementia
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Heart failure
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How Can I Prevent Tick Bites
The best way to beat Lyme disease is to avoid the ticks that spread it. Ticks cannot jump or fly, and must wait for a passing animal to grab hold of. They live in areas with tall grass and bushes, and where there are thick layers of plant debris. They do not survive well on well trimmed lawns where the sun will quickly dry them out.
Keep your bushes well trimmed and your lawn free of garden debris. When walking in areas with tall grass or brush, it is important to cover arms and legs with long shirt sleeves and long pants, and to tuck pant cuffs into socks to deny ticks entrance.
Insecticide sprays such as permethrin can be used on clothing before outdoor activities. One application will last in fabric for several months. Insect repellent such as DEET or picaridin can be used on skin, and only last several hours at the most. Apply according to the directions on the package, and be careful not to get it in your eyes or mouth.
After coming in from the outdoors, it is important to look over your body and/or your childs body for ticks. This is best done in the shower or bath. Pay close attention to areas where the ticks may hide in the armpits, in the groin, in the belly button, and on the scalp and behind the ears.
What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Lyme Disease
Tick bites are usually painless and most people do not know they have been bitten. Signs and symptoms of Lyme disease vary greatly from person to person, and may appear anywhere between 3 to 30 days after a person has been bitten.
Symptoms often include:
- Swollen lymph nodes.
- Skin rash.
One sign of infection can be an expanding rash, sometimes referred to as a “bull’s eye” rash because it may have rings spreading from the bite site ). It is important to note that rashes without the bull’s eye may occur, and that rashes do not appear in every case of Lyme disease infection.
The PHAC states that if left untreated, more severe symptoms may occur and can last from months to years. Severe symptoms may include:
- Severe headaches
- Additional EM skin rashes..
- Neurological disorders
- Nervous system disorders, including facial paralysis or Bell’s palsy .
- Intermittent muscle, joint, tendon, and bone aches
- Arthritis with severe joint pain and swelling, particularly the knees and less commonly in other joints such as the ankle, elbow, and wrists.
If untreated, a condition called late disseminated Lyme disease may occur. PHAC reports symptoms include recurring arthritis , nervous system and/or neurological problems. Symptoms can also include numbness and/or paralysis . Deaths from Lyme disease are rare but may occur.
PHAC provides more information on Lyme Disease.
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Symptoms Of Lyme Disease
A circular or oval shape rash around a tick bite can be an early symptom of Lyme disease in some people.
The rash can appear up to 3 months after being bitten by an infected tick, but usually appears within 1 to 4 weeks. It can last for several weeks.
The rash can have a darker or lighter area in the centre and might gradually spread. It’s not usually hot or itchy.
The rash may be flat, or slightly raised, and look pink, red, or purple when it appears on white skin. It can be harder to see the rash on brown and black skin and it may look like a bruise.
Some people also get flu-like symptoms a few days or weeks after they were bitten by an infected tick, such as:
- a high temperature, or feeling hot and shivery
- headache
- tiredness and loss of energy
Some people with Lyme disease develop more severe symptoms months or years later.
This is more likely if treatment is delayed.
These more severe symptoms may include:
- pain and swelling in joints
- nerve problems such as pain or numbness
- heart problems
- trouble with memory or concentration
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Signs Of Lyme Disease That Appear On Your Skin
Signs of Lyme disease
If you see a rash or another sign of Lyme disease on your skin, see your primary doctor right away. When caught early and treated, Lyme disease can be cured with antibiotics and most people recover fully.
Lyme disease is caused by a bite from a black-legged tick. If you are bitten by this tick and develop Lyme disease, you may see a bulls-eye rash. Its a common sign of Lyme disease, but its not the only sign.
Lyme disease occurs in stages. Heres what you may see on your skin during each stage.
I Found Out It Was A Deer Tick That Bit Me What Should I Do Now
If a deer tick bit you, one dose of an antibiotic called doxycycline can prevent Lyme disease if:
- you live in an area where there is a lot of Lyme disease
- the tick was probably attached to you for more than 36 hours
- the tick was removed in the last 3 days
Doxycycline should not be given to pregnant or breastfeeding women or to anyone allergic to doxycycline. If a tick bit you, ask your doctor if you should take doxycycline to prevent Lyme disease.
Is there anything I should look for after a tick bite?
After a tick bite, be on the look-out for signs of infection. The first sign of Lyme disease is usually a gradually enlarging, round or oval red discoloration of the skin surrounding the bite. The rash is usually neither painful nor itchy. Once the infection spreads, the same rash can be seen on other areas of the body. Other symptoms of infection may include:
- facial droop
- fever
- body aches.
Late manifestations of Lyme include swollen joints, and rarely neurologic problems like severe headaches. Lyme at any stage is treatable with a set course of antibiotics, typically two weeks and rarely more than a months duration.
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What Diseases Can The Ticks Found In Maine Carry
- The deer tick , also known as the black-legged tick, is the primary vector of Lyme disease,, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and Borreliamiyamotoi . Deer ticks are also a vector for Powassan virus,, a potentially deadly form of encephalitis.
- American dog ticks can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia. Ticks in Maine are not known to carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever or tularemia.
- The woodchuck tick can transmit Powassan virus.,
- The lone star tick can transmit Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Ehrlichia ewingii , tularemia, and STARI. The lone star ticks are moving north and are not fully established in Maine.
How Do You Know If Youll Get Lyme Disease From A Tick Bite
Lyme disease is an infection caused by a a species of bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi. This bacteria is most commonly transmitted by the bite of a tick of the Ixodes genus. People who spend a lot of time outdoors in areas where ticks with this bacterium are present, are considered to be more at risk of Lyme disease, especially during the summer season.
If youre outdoors and youre bitten by a tick, one of the hallmark symptoms showing you may have been infected with Borrelia is whats known as a bullseye rash around the tick bite.
By bullseye, we mean the rash looks like a circle with some concentric rings expanding out from the insect bite. It may also just look like a red rash but it usually does look more brightly colored red at the outer edges. Take a look here to see some examples.
There is data to suggest only 30-50% of people infected with Borrelia get the bullseye rash so its important to note that absence of this rash does not mean you are safe from infection.
A red rash can be caused by other bites
Because some people are particularly sensitive to insect bites, at times people could be bitten by an insect and a standard rash gets confused with a rash signifying Lyme disease. So at this stage its very difficult to tell if the person whos been bitten will develop Lyme disease.
The acute stage of Lyme disease
If youre in an area prone to Lyme disease
Symptoms
References:
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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 Is Chronic Lyme Or Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome
- This is when someone has lasting symptoms of fatigue, pain, or joint and muscle aches at the time they finish treatment. Flu-like symptoms may also occur.,,
- Some people have symptoms lasting more than 6 months.,
- The exact cause is not known. Most medical experts believe that the lingering symptoms are the result of residual damage to the tissues and the immune system that occurred during the infection.
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How To Repel Ticks
Blacklegged ticks are most active from April October. Like all biting insects, ticks find you because you exhale carbon dioxide , not body heat or odor.
To minimize your chances of a tick attaching
- Cover up in tick-infested areas. Wear pants instead of shorts and tuck your pants into your socks. Wear long-sleeved shirts if you will be on a narrow trail or bushwhacking.
- Wear a hat.
- Wear light-colored clothing to make it easier to spot ticks.
- Use insect repellents, preferably picaridin or IR3535 on the skin. Natural essential oils that are scientifically proven to repel insects as effectively or better than DEET include Lemon Eucalyptus, Catnip, Cedarwood, Citronella, and Neem.
- Insect-shield clothing. We dont recommend purchasing clothing with permethrin, classified by the EPA as a likely human carcinogen. Instead, spray your clothing with a natural environmentally friendly repellent made from botanicals. The most effective tick repellent is made from a substance called nootkatone, which is found in Alaska yellow cedar trees and grapefruit. Nootkatone is patented with one CDC-registered company, Evolva, which expects to begin selling it in 2018.
How Is It Treated
The main treatment for Lyme disease is antibiotics. These medicines usually cure Lyme disease within 3 weeks of starting treatment.
It’s important to get treatment for Lyme disease as soon as you can. If it goes untreated, Lyme disease can lead to problems with your skin, joints, nervous system, and heart. These can occur weeks, months, or even years after your tick bite. The problems often get better with antibiotics, but in rare cases they can last the rest of your life.
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What Are The Transmission Times For Other Tickborne Diseases
- Powassan virus transmission may take as little as 15 minutes of attachment. This is documented in mice and may be different for humans.
- Anaplasmosis transmission may take less than 24 hours of attachment. This is documented in mice and may be different for humans.
- Babesiosis transmission may take less than 36 hours and increases with attachment time. This is documented in hamsters and may be different in humans.
- Borrelia miyamotoi transmission may happen within the first 24 hours of attachment. The likelihood of transmission increases with attachment time. Transmission time for Borrelia miyamotoi is documented in mice and may be different for humans.
- One tick can carry several diseases. The transmission times of multiple infectious agents carried by one tick is not yet known.
Who Is At Risk In Ohio
Anyone who spends time outdoors can be at risk for Lyme disease. The tick that transmits Lyme disease in Ohio, the blacklegged tick, is most often found in wooded, brushy areas. People who frequent these settings may be at increased risk of contracting Lyme disease.
However, it does not take a hike in the forest to encounter blacklegged ticks. The property around many homes can also provide suitable habitat for ticks, particularly those in yards that are next to woods or brushy areas or those with tall grass or leaf litter. That is why it is important to take the necessary steps to prevent tick bites.
Ohioans of all ages get sick with Lyme disease, but data collected by the Zoonotic Disease Program suggest that males are more at risk for Lyme disease than females. Boys between the ages of ten and 14 years appear to be at particularly high risk. Many cases of Lyme disease are reported in females between the ages of five and nine.
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Do All Tick Bites Cause Lyme Disease
Do all tick bites cause lyme diseaseIts important to identify the tick because different kinds of ticks can carry different bacteria, viruses, protozoa and parasites. There are two families of ticks found in the United States: Ixodidae and Argasidae .
Can any tick bite give me Lyme disease? No, not all ticks can transmit Lyme disease. In this area, only Ixodes scapularis ticks, also called deer ticks, can spread Lyme.
Its a common misconception that ticks cause Lyme disease. Ticks are vectors for the disease, meaning they carry it and transmit it, but they do not cause it. The disease is bacterial and can.
Bites from other species of ticks most likely wont cause Lyme disease although you could be at risk for other types of infections. One study found that in the Northeast and.
Most people who get tick bites do not get Lyme disease. Not all ticks are infected, and the risk for contracting the disease increases the longer the tick is attached to the body. Within one to.