10 Essential Facts About Lyme Disease

By Allison Pohle for Everyday Health Every year, U.S. state health departments report about 30,000 cases of Lyme disease to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But the CDC says the true number of cases in the United States could be ten times as high. Lyme disease is transmitted to humans from tick bites. The ticks that transmit the disease are most active from April to September, which means spring and summer are the prime times for infection. With the right steps, and regular tick checks, however, you can prevent Lyme disease. Here are 10 things you should know about this tickborne disease: 1. You can only get Lyme disease from a tick bite. There is no evidence that Lyme disease can be transmitted from person-to-person, according to the CDC. You also can’t get Lyme disease from your dog, but your furry friend can bring ticks into your home or yard, so check your pet for ticks before letting him in the house. 2. Not all ticks carry Lyme disease. Blacklegged ticks are the ones you need to avoid. Also known as deer ticks, these parasites spread the disease in northeastern, mid-Atlantic, and north-central states, while western blacklegged ticks transmit infection on the Pacific Coast. According to CDC data, in 2013, 95 percent of Lyme disease cases occurred in 14 states, most of which were on the East Coast. 3. You can probably remove the tick by yourself if you notice it in time. To remove a tick before it’s too late, you can purchase a tick remo...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news