Lyme Disease and Animals
My-Dog.info > Dog Diseases, Bites, Worms & Ticks
What is Lyme disease?
Lyme disease is a bacterial disease caused by Borrelia
burgdorferi (boar-ELL-ee-uh burg-dorf-ERR-eye). Within 1 to 2
weeks of being infected, people may have a "bull's-eye"
rash with fever, headache, and muscle or joint pain. Some people
have Lyme disease and do not have any early symptoms. Other
people have a fever and other "flu-like" symptoms
without a rash.
After several days or weeks, the bacteria may spread
throughout the body of an infected person. These people can get
symptoms such as rashes in other parts of the body, pain that
seems to move from joint to joint, and signs of inflammation of
the heart or nerves. If the disease is not treated, a few
patients can get additional symptoms, such as swelling and pain
in major joints or mental changes, months after getting infected.
Can animals transmit Lyme disease to me?
Yes, but not directly. People get Lyme disease when they are
bitten by ticks carrying B. burgdorferi. Ticks that carry Lyme
disease are very small and can be hard to see. These tiny ticks
bite mice infected with Lyme disease and then bite people or
other animals, such as dogs and horses, passing the disease to
them.
How can I protect myself from Lyme disease?
- Whenever possible, you should avoid entering areas that
are likely to be infested with ticks, particularly in
spring and summer when nymphal ticks feed.
- If you are in an area with ticks, you should wear
light-colored clothing so that ticks can be spotted more
easily and removed before becoming attached.
- If you are in an area with ticks, wear long-sleeved
shirts, and tuck your pants into socks. You may also want
to wear high rubber boots (since ticks are usually
located close to the ground).
- Application of insect repellents containing DEET
(n,n-diethyl-m-toluamide) to clothes and exposed skin,
and permethrin (which kills ticks on contact) to clothes,
should also help reduce the risk of tick attachment. DEET
can be used safely on children and adults but should be
applied according to Environmental Protection Agency
guidelines to reduce the possibility of toxicity.
- Since transmission of B. burgdorferi from an infected
tick is unlikely to occur before 36 hours of tick
attachment, check for ticks daily and remove them
promptly. Embedded ticks should be removed by using
fine-tipped tweezers. Cleanse the area with an
antiseptic.
- You can reduce the number of ticks around your home by
removing leaf litter, and brush- and wood-piles around
your house and at the edge of your yard. By clearing
trees and brush in your yard, you can reduce the
likelihood that deer, rodents, and ticks will live there.
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