Download What You Should Know About Lyme Disease and Other Tick

What You Should Know About
Lyme Disease and Other
Tick-Borne Diseases
Sudbury Board of Health
Goals of presentation
• Be aware of Lyme disease and other
tick-borne diseases
• Recognize basic signs and symptoms
• Seek early diagnosis and treatment
• Know whether you live, work or play in
endemic areas
• Practice prevention activities
Lyme Disease
• Lyme disease is cause by a bacteria
transmitted by a deer tick
• Most common disease caused by
ticks and an extremely high
prevalence in Massachusetts
• Highest occurrence of being bite by a
deer tick are May through July
• Deer ticks are the size of a poppy
seed and can be hard to spot
• Not all Deer ticks carry the bacteria
that causes Lyme Disease
Lyme Disease
Signs & Symptoms
3 to 30 days after deer tick bite
• Rash (often “bulls-eye”)
• Fever
• Chills
• Headache
• Muscle and joint pain
• Fatigue
• Flu like symptoms
Erythema migrans (EM)
rash characteristic of
Lyme disease
Lyme Disease
Signs & Symptoms
Days to weeks after illness onset
• Multiple rashes
• Facial paralysis on one side
• Fever, stiff neck, headache
• Weakness, numbness, arm/leg pain
• Irregular heart beat
• Persistent weakness and fatigue
• Joint pain
Lyme Disease
Signs & Symptoms
Weeks to months after illness onset
• Persistent weakness or fatigue
• Chronic arthritis
• Nervous system problems
• Heart Problems
• Difficult to diagnose and differentiate
from other diseases
Joint Swelling
Joint swelling and
pain may occur
weeks to months
after onset of
illness if left
untreated.
Diagnosis of Lyme Disease
• Physical examination
• History of possible exposure to
deer ticks
• Blood tests may be performed
– A screening test is done first,
followed by a confirmatory test
for antibodies to Lyme disease
bacteria
Remember
Early recognition of signs and symptoms
of Lyme disease is very important for
prompt diagnosis and treatment. It can
reduce the time a person is ill and
prevent further complications .
Treatment
• Lyme disease can be treated
• Antibiotics are used to treat
Lyme disease
• Talk to your doctor about
specific treatment
TICKS
Blacklegged Tick
(deer tick)
American dog tick
(wood tick)
(spreads Lyme disease)
(does not spread Lyme disease)
adult male
adult female
Blacklegged Tick
Nymph
Blacklegged Tick Nymph
• Size of a poppy seed
• Transmits most cases of disease because
they are so difficult to detect
• Seeks a blood meal from mid-May to midJuly most at risk time
Trails and
Edge Habitat
• Blacklegged ticks
live in woody, brushy
areas that provide
food and cover for
hosts such as mice
and deer
• Exposure to these
ticks can be greatest
along trails and
edges of woods
To Get Lyme Disease
• Blacklegged tick must be infected with
Lyme disease bacteria
• Tick must be attached 24 - 48 hours before
it passes bacteria to host
• The longer the tick is attached the greater
the risk of disease
Lyme Disease Cases by State,
2011 Massachusetts- 2,476
Other Diseases caused by the
Blacklegged tick (deer tick)
• Anaplasmosis
• Babesiosis
Human Anaplasmosis
• Caused by the bacteria that affect certain
white blood cells
• Less common than Lyme disease
• Symptoms may become life threatening
immediate treatment is necessary
• Same treatment, same transmission and
same diagnostics as Lyme Disease
Signs and Symptoms of
Human Granulocytic
Anaplasmosis
•
•
•
•
•
Fever
Headache
Muscle aches
Flu like symptoms
Nausea and vomiting
Babesiosis
• Occurs in Coastal Areas in the
Northeastern United States, mostly
occurs in Martha’s Vineyard, Cape Cod
and Nantucket
• Caused by a parasite that infects red
blood cells
• Signs and symptoms begin gradually
occurring within 1-8 weeks after being
bitten by an infected deer tick
• Same treatment, transmission and
diagnostics as Lyme Disease
Babesiosis Signs & Symptoms
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
High fever
Chills
Headache
Muscle aches
Fatigue
Loss of appetite
Nausea and
vomiting
• Dark Urine
American Dog Tick Diseases
• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
• Rare disease in Massachusetts
• Spread by a bacteria in an infected
dog tick
• Often spreads within 24 hours of the
tick attaching unlike other tick born
diseases and can be fatal in
untreated
• Same treatment, diagnostics and
transmission as other tick born
diseases
Signs and Symptoms
• Severe headache and high fever
• Fatigue
• Rash on arms and legs 3-5 days after
fever starts which spreads to palms,
soles and rest of body
• Deep muscle pain
• Nausea and vomiting
Prevention Actions for
Tick Exposure
• Campers, hikers, hunters, people doing
outdoor occupations and activities, and
people who live near the woods may be at
risk.
• Take precautions when in tick habitats,
especially woods or brush from May
through July
• Remember, preventing exposure to ticks
requires diligence
Prevention
Use repellents (DEET or
permethrin), according
to label directions.
Tucking pants into socks
creates a barrier to ticks.
Wearing light-colored
clothing helps to more
easily spot ticks.
Checking for Ticks
It is a good idea to check yourself, your children and pets for
ticks after spending time in a wooded or brushy area.
Avoid Tick Bites
• Be aware of high-risk
times and places
• Walk in the center of
trails to avoid picking up
ticks from brush
• Wear long pants, lightcolored clothing, and
repellent
To Remove a Tick
• Use tick forceps or tweezers
• Grasp the tick close to the skin
• Pull outward S-L-O-W-L-Y, gently,
and steadily
• Do not squeeze the tick
• Use an antiseptic on the bite
• Monitor the site for rash
• Report any signs and symptoms
to your doctor immediately
• Keep the tick for testing
Important Messages
• Know whether you live, work or
play in an area that has ticks
• Take preventive actions
• Seek early diagnosis and treatment
The End
Brought to you by:
Phyllis Schilp RN,BSN
Sudbury Board of Health Nurse