When you are spending time outside, walking, hiking or riding your bike, pay attention to heavily wooded or grassy areas for those are the spots where ticks are most commonly found. For folks enjoying outdoor activities, we recommend protective clothing, application of insect repellent containing DEET (products with 24% DEET are effective up to 5 hours) and daily tick checks. When you return home, wash clothing on high heat and take a hot shower if you believe that you had contact with ticks. Also, remember to give your animal a quick tick check because they tend to hide on pets too.

Lyme Disease Transmission and Illness

Lyme is spread by the black-legged deer tick. The longer the tick is attached to the skin, the greater chance of infection. The tick must be attached for more than 36 hours for infection to occur.

The incubation period ranges from 3-30 days and the most common finding is a ring-like rash. This may be accompanied by a headache, tiredness, fever, muscle pain and chills. If you or a loved one believe that you have been infected by a tick, please call your doctor’s office immediately.

Treatment

Individuals treated with the correct antibiotics in the early stages of Lyme disease usually recover completely. Antibiotics typically used include amoxicillin, doxycycline and cefuroxime axetil. People with certain cardiac problems may need intravenous treatment with antibiotics.