Lyme Disease Pictures

Lyme Disease Pictures

Tick Bites Cause Lyme Disease Symptoms

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in the Northern Hemisphere. Borrelia is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected ticks belonging to a few species of the genus Ixodes (“hard ticks”). Early symptoms may include fever, headache, fatigue, depression, and a characteristic circular skin rash called erythema migrans. Left untreated, later symptoms may involve the joints, heart, and central nervous system. In most cases, the infection and its symptoms are eliminated by antibiotics, especially if the illness is treated early. *Late, delayed, or inadequate treatment can lead to the more serious symptoms, which can be disabling and difficult to treat. Occasionally, symptoms such as arthritis persist after the infection has been eliminated by antibiotics, prompting suggestions that Borrelia causes autoimmunity.

What Does a Deer Tick Look Like?

What does a Bull’s-Eye Rash Look Like?

Ixodes dammini is responsible for most of the cases of Lyme disease in the northeastern United States. These ticks are found in grassy areas (including lawns), and in brushy, shrubby and woodland sites, even on warm winter days. They prefer areas where some moisture is present. The tick has three life stages: larva, nymph and adult. Each stage takes a single blood meal. They feed on a variety of warm blooded animals including man, dogs, cats, horses and cows. The bite is painless so most victims do not know they have been bitten. The nymphal stage appears to be responsible for most Lyme disease cases. Both the larval stage (about the size of a grain of sand) and nymphal stage (about the size of a poppy seed) attach to a variety of small mammals, but prefer the white-footed mouse, the main reservoir of the Lyme disease bacteria. The adult ticks (about the size of a sesame seed) prefer to feed on white-tailed deer. The entire life cycle requires three separate hosts and takes about two years to complete.

Larval and nymphal deer ticks also attach to birds. Indeed, birds may be a primary means by which the ticks (some infected) are spread from one area to another. Some species of birds also function as a reservoir of infection.

Usually, the first sign of infection is a circular rash. This rash appears within 1–2 weeks of infection but may develop up to 30 days after the tick bite. The rash often has a characteristic “bull’s-eye” appearance, with a central red spot surrounded by clear skin that is ringed by an expanding red rash. It may also appear as an expanding ring of solid redness. It may be warm to the touch and is usually not painful or itchy. The bull’s-eye rash may be more difficult to see on people with darker skin tones, where it may take on a bruise-like appearance.

How Can You Remove a Tick?

• Use tweezers and grasp the tick close to the skin or wrap a thread around the tick next to the skin and pull. Do not squeeze the body of the tick. With tweezers, use a steady upward pull until the tick releases its hold. Do not remove with fingers or a match, since this may cause the tick to embed its head in the skin. Do not crush the tick with your fingers.
• Do not use fingernail polish or petroleum jelly on the tick. This method will not “suffocate” the tick, as once thought.
• Seek medical help if you cannot remove all of the tick yourself.
• Cleanse area with alcohol, antiseptic or antibacterial soap.
• Although the risk of developing either disease is low, watch for signs of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever or Lyme Disease. See a doctor if you notice any of these signs.