More on Lyme Disease

I previously wrote a mini article about Lyme Disease. I wanted to add a few notes after the fact.

According to the CDC website http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/Lyme/ not all ticks are known to be infectious. Only those ticks infected with Borrelia burdorferi. "It is transmitted among these animals – and to humans – through the bites of certain species of ticks. In the northeastern and north-central United States, the black-legged tick (or deer tick, Ixodes scapularis) transmits Lyme disease. In the Pacific coastal United States, the disease is spread by the western black-legged tick (Ixodes pacificus)."

With that said, I did mention previously that you should check daily after gardening or other outdoor activities for ticks. According to the Health Educator from Chester County, an application of an insect repellent with 20-30 % DEET is helpful for adults. Wearing light colored clothing is helpful so that the ticks are easily visible and removed. Remove ticks with fine tipped tweezers.

According to the CDC, early detection is key in fighting Lyme Disease. Most cases if caught early are treatable with 2 weeks of antibiotics.

For more information contact the website listed above and there is a pdf file available.