Lyme
Disease and Animals
What
is Lyme disease?
Lyme disease
is a bacterial disease caused by Borrelia burgdorferi (boar-ELL-ee-uh
burg-dorf-ERR-eye). Within 1 to 2 weeks of being infected, people may
have a "bull's-eye" rash with fever, headache, and muscle or joint pain.
Some people have Lyme disease and do not have any early symptoms. Other
people have a fever and other "flu-like" symptoms without a rash.
After several
days or weeks, the bacteria may spread throughout the body of an infected
person. These people can get symptoms such as rashes in other parts of
the body, pain that seems to move from joint to joint, and signs of inflammation
of the heart or nerves. If the disease is not treated, a few patients
can get additional symptoms, such as swelling and pain in major joints
or mental changes, months after getting infected.
Can animals
transmit Lyme disease to me?
Yes, but
not directly. People get Lyme disease when they are bitten by ticks carrying
B. burgdorferi. Ticks that carry Lyme disease are very small
and can be hard to see. These tiny ticks bite mice infected with Lyme
disease and then bite people or other animals, such as dogs and horses,
passing the disease to them.
How can
I protect myself from Lyme disease?
- Whenever
possible, you should avoid entering areas that are likely to be infested
with ticks, particularly in spring and summer when nymphal ticks feed.
- If you
are in an area with ticks, you should wear light-colored clothing so
that ticks can be spotted more easily and removed before becoming attached.
- If you
are in an area with ticks, wear long-sleeved shirts, and tuck your pants
into socks. You may also want to wear high rubber boots (since ticks
are usually located close to the ground).
- Application
of insect repellents containing DEET (n,n-diethyl-m-toluamide) to clothes
and exposed skin, and permethrin (which kills ticks on contact) to clothes,
should also help reduce the risk of tick attachment. DEET can be used
safely on children and adults but should be applied according to Environmental
Protection Agency guidelines to reduce the possibility of toxicity.
- Since
transmission of B. burgdorferi from an infected tick is unlikely
to occur before 36 hours of tick attachment, check for ticks daily and
remove them promptly. Embedded ticks should be removed by using fine-tipped
tweezers. Cleanse the area with an antiseptic.
- You can
reduce the number of ticks around your home by removing leaf litter,
and brush- and wood-piles around your house and at the edge of your
yard. By clearing trees and brush in your yard, you can reduce the likelihood
that deer, rodents, and ticks will live there.
How can
I find more information about Lyme disease?
Learn more
about Lyme disease, including answers to frequently asked questions, the
natural history of Lyme disease and a narrated documentary, at CDC's Lyme
disease web site.
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