Lyme Disease

What is Lyme disease?
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted to humans and pets by a bite from an infected tick. Not all ticks carry Lyme disease.

What are the symptoms of Lyme disease?
The first sign of infection is often a circular rash (looks like a bull's eye target). This rash occurs in about 70-80 per cent of infected people and begins at the site of the tick bite after a delay of three days to one month. Additional symptoms may include fatigue, chills, fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, and swollen lymph nodes. If left untreated, the disease can progress into more serious symptoms which can last several months. These include severe headaches, weakness, rash at different sites on the body, painful or stiff joints, abnormal heartbeat, and extreme fatigue. If the disease continues to progress, symptoms such as chronic arthritis and neurological symptoms, including headaches, dizziness, numbness, and paralysis can result. Lyme disease is rarely fatal. However, if contracted during pregnancy, Lyme disease can pose serious health risks to the baby, including stillbirth.

How is Lyme disease spread?
Lyme disease is spread by the bite of an infected tick only (Ixodes species). The tick must be attached to skin for about 24 hours to transmit the bacteria. Lyme disease is not spread from person to person. Individuals are most at risk of becoming infected when walking through brush and tall grass in the spring and summer when ticks are most active.

How is Lyme disease diagnosed?
Lyme disease can be fairly easy to diagnose when someone gets the circular rash. It is much harder to diagnose if the rash is not present because other symptoms resemble diseases such as the flu. To help diagnose these cases, doctors can have patients' blood tested for antibodies to the Lyme disease bacteria.

How is Lyme disease treated?
Lyme disease can be effectively treated with antibiotics. A full recovery is more likely when treatment begins in the early stages of the disease. Undiagnosed Lyme disease may develop into chronic illness that can be difficult to treat.

Can Lyme disease be prevented?
Here are some precautions you can take:

• Don't walk bare-legged in tall grass, brush, or woods where ticks might be found.
• If you do go into such areas, cover up as much as possible. Wear light-coloured long-sleeved shirts, pants and a hat. The light colours will help you see whether there are any ticks on you. Tuck your shirt into your pants, and pull socks up over your pant legs. This will help keep ticks away from your bare skin.
• Wear shoes that cover your entire foot, rather than sandals.
• Spray clothing and exposed skin with an insect repellent that contains DEET before going into areas where ticks might be found. Read and follow the manufacturer's directions for safe use (NOTE: DEET is not recommended for infants less than six months old).
• After finishing your outdoor activity, check your clothing and your entire body for any attached ticks. Some ticks are quite small - the size of a freckle.
• Check children and pets for ticks after they have been outside. Talk to your veterinarian about the best ways to protect your pets from ticks.

What should you do if you find a tick attached to your skin?
Any attached tick should be removed as soon as possible.

• Use tweezers to remove it.
• Grasp the tick's head and mouth parts as close to your skin as possible, and pull slowly until the tick is removed.
• Be careful not to twist, rotate or crush the tick during removal.
• After removing the tick, use soap and water to wash the spot where you were bitten. You may also disinfect the bite area with alcohol or household disinfectant.

What should you do once the tick is removed from your skin?

• If the tick was removed from your body (i.e. not just brushed out of your hair or those removed off your pet) try to save the tick in an empty pill vial or a doubled zip-lock bag and then call Capital Health LINK at 408-LINK (5465).
• Public Health officials will assist in having the tick identified to determine if it is the Ixodes species that carries Lyme disease.

What should you do if you are having symptoms of Lyme disease?

• See your physician if you develop symptoms of Lyme disease (described above) especially if it is known that a tick was attached to your skin for more than 24 hours.

Where can you get more information?
For health advice and information 24 hours a day, seven days a week, call Capital Health  Link at 408-LINK (5465) or outside the local calling area, call toll-free 1-866-408-LINK.

Disclaimer
Reviewed by Alberta clinical experts. Brought to you by HealthLink Alberta. Copyright.
This material is designed for information purposes only. It should not be used in place of medical advice, instruction and/or treatment. For more health advice call Capital Health Link at 780-408-LINK (5465) 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In Alberta, call Toll-free: 1-866-408-LINK (5465)