Lyme Disease & Tick FAQs
What is Lyme Disease and is it serious?
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States, and is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi (and rarely, Borrelia mayonii). It is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system. Lyme disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, physical findings (e.g., rash), and the possibility of exposure to infected ticks. Laboratory testing is helpful if used correctly and performed with validated methods. Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated successfully with a few weeks of antibiotics. The ticks that transmit Lyme disease can occasionally transmit other tick-borne diseases as well, so take steps to reduce your risk such as using insect repellent, removing ticks promptly and correctly, applying pesticides, and reducing tick habitat.
What should I do if I find a tick on myself or a family member?
If you find a tick on yourself or a family member, avoid folklore remedies such as “painting” the tick with nail polish or petroleum jelly, or using heat to make the tick detach from the skin. Use a clean fine-tipped tweezer to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you cannot remove the mouth easily with tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal. After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
Never crush a tick with your fingers. Dispose of a live tick by using one of the following methods:
- Putting it in alcohol
- Placing it in a sealed bag/container
- Wrapping it tightly in paper
- Flushing it down the toilet
Deer ticks, dog ticks and lone star ticks are found throughout Cape Cod and may spread different disease-causing germs when they bite you. They are generally found in unkempt grassy, brushy, or wooded areas. They do not fly or jump, but attach to animals or people that come into direct contact with them.
Both nymph (young) and adult deer ticks will bite humans. Deer tick nymphs are the size of a poppy seed and deer tick adults are the size of a sesame seed. Most cases of Lyme disease are contracted when deer ticks are in the nymphal stage because they are difficult to detect due to their small size. The highest risk of being bitten by a deer tick is from May through September; however, adults can also be out searching for a host any time winter temperatures are above freezing.