What you should know about...
Lyme Disease

What is Lyme disease?

Lyme disease is a bacterial disease transmitted to humans via a tick bite. Within 1 to 2 weeks after being infected, a "bull's-eye" rash can develop at the tick bite site accompanied by fever, headache, and muscle or joint pain. Some people may have Lyme disease and not have any early symptoms. However, others can have a fever and other "flu-like" symptoms without a rash.

Who gets Lyme disease?

Anyone who is bitten by a tick carrying the bacteria can get Lyme disease. Proper removal of a biting tick from the skin within 48 hours of being bitten can reduce the risk of disease transmission.

How is Lyme disease spread?

The spirochete which causes Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected tick, which is a "vector" for the disease. The principal vector of Lyme disease in New Jersey is the deer tick, also called the black-legged tick. Immature ticks become infected by feeding on infected white-footed mice and other small mammals, such as deer and meadow voles.

What are the symptoms of Lyme disease?

Within days to weeks following a tick bite, 60-80% of persons becoming infected will have a red, slowly expanding "bull's-eye" rash, accompanied by general tiredness, fever, headache, stiff neck, muscle aches, and joint pain. If untreated, weeks to months later, some people may develop arthritis, including intermittent episodes of swelling and pain in the large joints. Other symptoms may include neurologic abnormalities, inflammation of the brain, and rarely, cardiac problems.

What is the treatment for Lyme disease?

Antibiotic therapy for 3-4 weeks is generally effective in early Lyme disease. Later disease manifestations may require intravenous antibiotic therapy for 4 or more weeks.

How long is an infected person infectious to others?

Lyme disease is spread only by the bite of an infected tick. Infected individuals cannot spread the disease to other people.

How can Lyme disease by prevented?

• Avoid wooded areas with dense shrubs and leaf litter.
• Make your yard less attractive to ticks: mow lawns and prune trees.
• Wear solid light colored clothing with pants tucked into socks. This will help prevent a tick from attaching to your skin and will also make sighting a tick easier.
• Use insect repellents on yourself and your pets. Two types of repellents that are effective for ticks are those containing DEET for use on clothes and exposed skin, and permethrin for use on clothes only.
• Examine yourself frequently while in tick-infected areas.
• Perform a full-body exam on yourself, children and pets after leaving tick habitat.
• Remove attached ticks promptly. Apply steady outward pressure. Do not use petroleum jelly, noxious chemicals, or hot objects to remove ticks. Improper removal can increase the chances of infection.

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