Contact: Public Health (518) 746-2400
What Is Lyme
Disease?
Lyme disease is a
bacterial infection caused by the bite of an infected deer
tick. Untreated, the disease can cause a number of health
problems. Patients treated with antibiotics in the early
stage of the infection usually recover rapidly and
completely.
Where Is Lyme
Disease Found?
In the United States,
infected ticks can be found in the northeast, including New
York State; in the upper Midwest; and along the northwest
coast.
What Are the
Symptoms of Lyme Disease?
The
early symptoms of Lyme disease may be mild and easily
missed. If you find a tick attached to your skin, remove the
tick with tweezers and watch for the symptoms of Lyme
disease. In 60-80% of cases the first symptom is a rash,
known as
erythema
migrans,
that:
■ Occurs at or near the site of the tick bite.
■ Is a “bulls-eye” circular patch or solid red patch that grows larger.
■ Appears between three days and one month after the tick bite.
■ Has a diameter of two to six inches.
■ Lasts for about three to five weeks.
■ May or may not be warm to the touch.
■ Is usually not painful or itchy.
■ Sometimes multiple rashes appear
How Can I Safely
Remove a Tick?
If
you DO find a tick attached to your skin, do not panic. Not
all ticks are infected, and your risk of Lyme disease is
greatly reduced if the tick is removed within the first 36
hours.
To remove a
tick:
■ Use a pair of
pointed tweezers to grasp the tick by the head or mouth
parts right where they enter the skin. DO NOT grasp the tick
by the body.
■ Pull firmly and steadily outward. DO NOT jerk or twist the tick.
■ Place the tick in a small container of rubbing alcohol to kill it.
■ Clean the bite wound with rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide.
■ Monitor the site of the bite for the next 30 days, for the appearance of a rash. If you develop a rash or flu-like symptoms, contact your health care provider immediately.
What Else Can Be
Done?
■ Keep lawns
mowed and edges trimmed.
■ Clear brush, leaf litter and tall grass around the house, and at the edges of gardens and stone walls.
■ Stack woodpiles neatly away from the house and preferably off the ground.
■ Clear all leaf litter (including the remains of perennials) out of the garden in the fall.
■ Keep the ground under bird feeders clean so as not to attract small animals.
■ Locate children’s swing sets and other play equipment in sunny, dry areas of the yard, away from the woods.
For more information on Lyme disease, refer to one of the links below or contact Washington County Public Health at 746-2400.
Be Tick Free - A
guide for Preventing Lyme Disease
Ticks & Lyme
Disease (Brochure)
Lyme Disease and other Tick-borne Diseases * New York State Department of Health
New York State Department of Health Tick Identification Service *
