Protecting Yourself and Your Family From Lyme Disease
It's possible to encounter a tick during any time of year. However, in the northeastern United States, tick season runs from April through October. Because ticks can carry a bacterium that can cause Lyme disease, it’s critical to know what Lyme disease is and how to protect yourself and your loved ones.
The prevalence of Lyme disease creates a challenge for health officials each year when it comes time to calculate the disease’s range. Because of how widespread Lyme disease is, not every case is counted. In New York in 2021, there were about 3,000 reported cases of Lyme disease, which is roughly 12% of what was reported for the entire country that same year.
Learn about Lyme disease and pick up some prevention tips to help keep your family safe this summer.
Lyme Disease and Ticks
Vector-borne illnesses are caused by bacteria, viruses and parasites that spread to humans from animals or other living organisms. In the United States, Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne illness.
“Lyme disease is mainly caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi,” says Melanie Dubois, M.D., MPH, assistant professor in Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Weill Cornell Medicine. “In the eastern United States, it’s transmitted via the black-legged tick, also called a deer tick.”
Less than half of all black-legged ticks carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. However, given the risk of the disease and that there are no approved vaccines to prevent Lyme disease—staying away from the insect is important.
Steering Clear of Ticks
The key to avoiding ticks and Lyme disease is taking preventive measures. When going outside:
- Apply bug spray that contains DEET.
- Dress yourself and your children in long pants, long sleeves and shoes that cover all parts of the foot.
- Stick to trails and avoid walking in brush or grass.
- Wear light-colored clothing that allows you to see ticks more easily.
“Perform tick checks when returning indoors,” Dr. Dubois says. “Remember that children may not be able to notice or look for ticks themselves.”
Make sure to check for ticks in hairy or moist areas of the body, such as:
- Armpits
- Groin area
- Scalp
- Under skin folds
After a tick check, launder clothing at high temperatures and shower.
Project Removal
If you find a tick attached to the skin, follow these steps:
- Grab the tick as close to the skin as possible with clean, fine-tipped tweezers.
- Pull upward and straight out with steady pressure to remove the tick. Avoid jerking or twisting, as these movements may cause the jaws of the tick to stay attached.
- Wash your hands and the area where the tick was with soap and water or rubbing alcohol.
Testing the tick for the Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium is generally not recommended. To dispose of the tick, do not crush it. Instead, you can simply flush it down the toilet.
Protecting Your Pets
If you have a dog or cat that goes inside and outside, make sure to check them for ticks when they come inside. In addition to carrying ticks indoors where they can transfer the arachnids to people, dogs are at risk for contracting Lyme disease, too. Cats can also contract the disease, but it’s less common. There are several types of oral, topical or wearable tick prevention products for pets. Ask your veterinarian which product would be a good fit for your pet.
Quick Response Is Key
The faster you spot and remove a tick, the lower your chances of developing Lyme disease after exposure. The chance of contracting the bacterium that causes Lyme disease is very low if you remove the tick within 36 hours. There is a greater risk for infection with Lyme if the tick is engorged and has fed for greater than 72 hours. Acting quickly can also help prevent other tick-borne illnesses.
Taking Action After a Tick Bite
If you find an engorged tick, that’s a sign that the tick may have been attached for 36 hours or more. In this case, remove the tick and contact your primary care provider (PCP) or your child’s pediatrician.
Your provider will ask you for more information about the tick and tick bite. Based on your unique circumstances, they may recommend one dose of an antibiotic called doxycycline for prophylaxis.
Symptoms of Lyme Disease
Lyme disease occurs when the immune system tries to fight off the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. It often takes three days to a month for symptoms to begin.
“Early in disease, children and adults can present with a bull’s-eye rash, known as erythema migrans, with other associated symptoms, such as headache, fatigue and fever,” Dr. Dubois says. “Later manifestations can include spread of the disease to the nervous system, heart or joints. The best way to prevent later complications of Lyme disease is to recognize the early manifestations of disease and provide treatment.”
Lyme Disease Testing and Treatment
There are blood tests that detect Lyme disease by measuring antibodies. Because developing antibodies can take several weeks, blood tests are not recommended in the first few weeks after infection. Instead, providers often decide to treat early Lyme disease based on your history of tick exposure and symptoms. In some cases, your PCP or child’s pediatrician may refer you to an adult or pediatric Infectious Disease specialist.
Lyme disease is generally treated with two to four weeks of antibiotics in children and adults. A recent study found that most children ages 5 to 18 who received treatment for Lyme disease fully recovered from the disease within six months.
Still, a small percentage of adults and children treated for Lyme disease continue to have symptoms, such as brain fog or fatigue, for more than six months. This is called post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome, or PTLDS.
“Lyme disease is treated based on the clinical presentation, which can include rash, arthritis and several other manifestations depending on the timing of the illness,” Dr. Dubois says. “Once patients have received the appropriate treatment for Lyme disease, additional antibiotics are not recommended if there are persistent symptoms after treatment.”
If you find a tick on yourself or your child, Weill Cornell Medicine providers are here to help. Find a doctor today.