Lyme Disease Trivia

Some people think trivia is fun...and I suppose that it can be fun. Since Lyme disease is so prevalent and can cause a person a lifetime of pain and other issues, I thought it was important to point out some important (trivia) points!

Lyme Disease is caused by a bacteria known as Borrelia burgdorferi . It can only be transmitted to humans via an infected tick.

A tick must be attached its host for at least hours to cause an infection.

Seventy to eighty percent of those infected with Lyme disease will develop the classic “bulls eye” rash several days to several weeks after becoming infected.

Most cases of Lyme Disease occur in late spring to early summer. The largest number of infections occur in the Northeast and Upper Midwest areas of the USA.

Most cases of Lyme Disease are successfully treated by a course of antibiotics lasting a few weeks. Not all ticks carry Lyme Disease!

Only 25-50% of ticks are carriers of

disease.

The best way to remove a deer or tick is not by burning or suffocating it, but by removing it with tweezers, making sure to remove its mouth parts from the skin.

Testing a tick for the presence of Lyme causing bacteria does not help to

determine whether or not it has caused disease.

There was a vaccine for Lyme disease on the market at one time but it was removed in 2009 due to low demand.

A person can be infected with Lyme disease more than once in a lifetime!

Sources: About.com; idsociety.org

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