| Lyme disease is an inflammatory disease | | | | signs and symptoms ranging from rash and |
| spread through a tick bite. Lyme disease | | | | flu-like fever and body aches to more |
| is an infection caused by bacteria | | | | serious ones including joint swelling, |
| spirochete. The disease is carried by | | | | weakness, fatigue and temporary |
| deer ticks and western black-legged | | | | paralysis. Other symptoms of lyme |
| ticks (found mostly on the Pacific | | | | disease include chills, headaches, stiff |
| Coast). These ticks can spread the | | | | neck, fatigue, muscle aches and joint |
| disease to animals and humans through | | | | pain. Protective clothing includes |
| tick bites. Lyme disease is the most | | | | long-sleeve shirts and pants that are |
| common tick-borne disease in the United | | | | tucked into socks or boots. |
| States. Lyme disease is caused by an | | | | Anti-inflammatory medications, such as |
| infection from a micro-organism | | | | ibuprofen, are sometimes prescribed to |
| (Borrelia burghdor feri), itself | | | | relieve joint stiffness. Oral |
| transmitted by a bite from the wood | | | | doxycycline (eg Vibramycin) (except in |
| tick, a blood-sucking parasite which | | | | children), amoxicillin (eg Amoxil) or |
| normally lives on deer. The wood tick is | | | | cephalosporin antibiotics are the usual |
| found in many areas, particularly in | | | | first choices. Antibiotics by injection |
| forests where deer are common. A tick | | | | are being given, then benzylpenicillin |
| will settle anywhere on a human body, | | | | (eg Crystapen), cefotaxime (Claforan) |
| but prefers warm, moist and dark places | | | | and ceftriaxone (Rocephin) are the usual |
| like the crotch or armpits. | | | | choices. An arthrocentesis is a |
| About 60% of light-skinned patients | | | | procedure whereby fluid is removed from |
| notice a unique enlarging rash, referred | | | | a joint using a needle and syringe under |
| to as erythema migrans (EM), days to | | | | sterile conditions. When walking or |
| weeks after the biteLyme disease is | | | | hiking in wooded or grassy areas, tuck |
| usually seen during the late spring, | | | | long pants into socks to protect the |
| summer, and early fall. Risk factors for | | | | legs, and wear shoes and light-colored, |
| Lyme disease include walking in high | | | | long-sleeved shirts. Ticks show up |
| grasses, taking place in activities that | | | | better on white or light |
| increase tick exposure, and having a pet | | | | colored-clothing than dark items. Spray |
| that may carry ticks home. Lyme disease | | | | your clothes with insect repellant. |
| is a tick-borne illness that causes | | | | |