Natural
Cycle || Symptoms || Lyme Disease Fact Sheet
  Recommendations for the Development of a Strategic Plan for Lyme Disease Prevention and Control in Maryland, March 2007
Lyme
Disease (LD) is an infection caused by the spiral bacterium
known as Borrelia burgdorferi. LD
is a tick-borne disease. You
cannot get LD from another person -you get it
from a tick bite. People
most at risk for LD are those who spend time in grassy
and wooded areas during the active tick season (April
to October); this includes parks within cities, urban
areas, and residential houses nestled in wooded areas.
 Learn how to prevent and
control your risk of LD.
This bacterium is spread to people by the bite of
a black-legged tick, Ixodes scapularis. Ticks must be
attached to the body for at least 24 hours before they
pass the LD bacteria to humans. Not every tick
bite causes LD. A person can get LD more than
once. Thoroughly check your body for tick attachments
after spending time in grassy or wooded areas where
ticks live. If you noticed a tick bite, immediately
remove the tick with
tweezers.
Natural Cycle
 Animals and ticks maintain B. burgdorferi infection
in a natural cycle. Mice carry B. burgdorferi
in nature; ticks become infected when feeding on infected
mice. Infected mice do not become ill.  Once
infected, ticks can spread the bacteria by feeding
on other mice and on animals such as deer, or humans.
Symptoms
Early
symptoms of LD appear 3 to 32 days after the bite
of an infected tick which was attached for at least
24 hours.
Figure:
Erythema migrans
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| Most people with LD
will get a rash called “erythema migrans” where
they were bitten. The rash starts as a small
red round area, which usually gets bigger and can
reach two or more inches across. The center
of the rash may clear giving a “bull’s
eye” appearance. |
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Other symptoms during the early stage of
LD include:
- Chills
- Fever
- Headache
- Tiredness
- Stiff neck
- Joint pain
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Rash that spreads to other parts of the body
Early LD is usually curable using antibiotics
that your health care provider can prescribe. Without
treatment, the disease may progress to arthritis,
meningitis, facial nerve paralysis, or hearing
abnormalities. The later symptoms may occur
in people who did not recognize early symptoms. Swelling
and joint pain may recur over many years.
If you have had a tick attached for more than
24 hours, any of these symptoms, or think you
have Lyme disease, promptly check with your medical
care provider. |
Maryland Department of Health
and Mental Hygiene
Office of Epidemiology and Disease Control Programs
August 2006
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