Lyme+Disease

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 * Lyme Disease:**

Lyme disease is caused by bacteria called Borrelia Burgdorferi which is commonly carried by infected Deer Ticks and Blacklegged Ticks. These ticks are found in Northeastern and North central United States. The disease is transmitted to humans through a tick bite, usually the tick bites in hard to find places such as the groin, armpit, and scalp. Most bites come from baby ticks, called Nymphs, which are less than two millimeters in size. Lyme Disease is the most common tick borne illness in North America. There is no evidence that this disease can be transmitted person to person, but it can possibly be transmitted through pregnancy and blood transfusions. Early stages of Lyme Disease include a bull’s eye rash where the tick bite occurred, fever, fatigue, joint pain, and swollen lymph nodes. Treatment for this disease is antibiotics, but patients with neurological or cardiac disease will need to receive treatment through IV drugs. If left untreated, Lyme Disease can cause muscle pain, sleep disturbance, fatigue, and cognitive effects, and 10-20% of people with Lyme Disease have lasting symptoms for months to years after treatment with antibiotics. The best way to prevent Lyme Disease is to reduce your exposure to ticks and check your entire body for ticks after being outside for an extended period of time.

Information from [|www.cdc.gov/lyme]