Prevention is key! While outside walking, hiking, playing sports, gardening, or relaxing, please be aware of Lyme disease.
Enjoy the outdoors safely by using these prevention tips to minimize your Lyme disease and tickborne disease risk.
- Create a tick free zone around your house
- When on a trail, stay on the path and away from tall grass
- Use tick repellents on your skin and spray your clothes with permethrin
- Perform daily tick checks
- Remove ticks immediately with a tweezer
Background:
- Lyme disease is a worldwide tickborne epidemic.
- There are approximately half a million new Lyme disease cases each year in the US.
- Lyme disease is a multi-system bacterial infection transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected deer tick.
- Ticks can transmit numerous different pathogens.
- Every age is at risk for contracting Lyme disease and tickborne illness.
- Early diagnosis enables early treatment and the best prognosis.
- Delayed treatment is associated with higher risk for persistent symptoms.
- Persistent symptoms include disabling pain, fatigue and cognitive impairment.
Suspicious Rash or Flu-Like Symptoms?
If you have a suspicious expanding red circular rash and/or flu-like symptoms such as fever, achiness, extreme fatigue, severe headache or neckache, this could be acute Lyme disease. Please seek medical care immediately.
