Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium
known as Borrelia burgdorferi
You cannot catch Lyme disease from another person—you
catch it from a tick bite
It is spread by the bite of a deer tick. People may be
exposed when they spend time outdoors in tick-infested
areas (such as wooded, brushy, or grassy places). Ticks
must be attached to the body for at least 24 hours before
they pass the Lyme disease bacteria to humans. Not every
tick bite causes Lyme disease. A person can get Lyme disease
more than once.
Symptoms appear 3 to 32 days after a tick bite
Most people with Lyme disease will get a rash called
“erythema migrans” where they were bitten.
The rash starts as a small red round area, which usually
expands to two or more inches across. The center of the
rash may clear giving a "bull's eye" appearance.
Other symptoms are fever, headache, tiredness, stiff neck,
joint pain, and swollen lymph nodes. Without treatment,
the heart, nervous system, or joints may be affected weeks
to years later; the rash may also spread to other parts
of the body.
Blood tests and treatment are available. See
your doctor if you think you have Lyme disease
A doctor may treat Lyme disease with antibiotics based
on a person’s illness and a history of a tick bite
or tick exposure. Blood tests done in the early stage
of illness can be negative, so early diagnosis is usually
based on signs and symptoms. Blood tests are usually positive
3 to 4 weeks after an infected tick bite. The tests may
stay negative in people who are treated early with antibiotics.
Early treatment should prevent later complications. Antibiotics
are also used to treat later stages of Lyme disease.
A vaccine was previously available but is no longer produced.
You can prevent Lyme disease?
- Avoid areas heavily infested with ticks (woods, tall
grassy areas).
- Use tick repellent according to the directions on
the product label.
- Wear light-colored clothes to help spot ticks.
- Wear protective clothing (long pants and long-sleeved
shirts, tuck pant legs into socks, and tuck shirt into
pants) when in areas where you may have frequent or
prolonged exposure to ticks.
- Inspect your entire body (head to toe) for ticks
after being outdoors.
- Inspect both your children and pets for ticks after
they have been outdoors.
- Remove an attached tick by grasping the tick close
to the skin surface and pulling straight back with steady
force; use pointed tweezers to grasp the tick. If fingers
must be used, protect hands by using gloves, cloth,
or tissue. Do not squeeze the tick's body or use petroleum
jelly, lighted cigarettes or matches, or alcohol. Clean
the bite site after removing a tick and then wash your
hands.
- Mark your calendar when a tick is taken off your
body. This information will be useful to your doctor
- Keep the grass in your yard cut; remove leaves and
leaf litter; clear brush from the yard.
Household pets may carry ticks inside the home
- Try to prevent pets from going into areas infested
with ticks (e.g., woods, fields).
- Brush loose ticks off before letting pets into the
house.
- Remove all ticks in the same way you would from yourself.
- Talk to your veterinarian about tick control products.
Center for Veterinary Public Health
Maryland Department of Health &
Mental Hygiene
— Epidemiology & Disease Control Program,
May, 2002
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