Infected tick bite skin#

In areas where ticks are found, people should know about the risk of Lyme disease and should take precautions to protect themselves. PHAC provides more information on Lyme Disease. It is important for people to consult with their doctor if they feel it is possible that they have Lyme disease. Lyme disease can be difficult to recognize, and it has been confused with other diseases. Deaths from Lyme disease are rare but may occur. Symptoms can also include numbness and/or paralysis (unable to move parts of the body). PHAC reports symptoms include recurring arthritis (muscle and joint pain), nervous system and/or neurological problems. If untreated, a condition called late disseminated Lyme disease may occur. Arthritis with severe joint pain and swelling, particularly the knees and less commonly in other joints such as the ankle, elbow, and wrists.Intermittent muscle, joint, tendon, and bone aches.Nervous system disorders, including facial paralysis or Bell's palsy (loss of muscle tone or droop on one or both sides of the face).Neurological disorders (dizziness, mental confusion or inability to think clearly, memory loss, inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, nerve pain, numbness or tingling in the hands or feet).The PHAC states that if left untreated, more severe symptoms may occur and can last from months to years. It is important to note that rashes without the bull's eye may occur, and that rashes do not appear in every case of Lyme disease infection. One sign of infection can be an expanding rash, sometimes referred to as a 'bull's eye' rash because it may have rings spreading from the bite site (known as erythema migrans (EM rash)). Signs and symptoms of Lyme disease vary greatly from person to person, and may appear anywhere between 3 to 30 days after a person has been bitten. Tick bites are usually painless and most people do not know they have been bitten. What are the signs and symptoms of Lyme disease? They may, however, carry infected ticks into the home or yard which may increase the chance of transmission. Pets, especially dogs, can get Lyme disease, but there is no evidence that pets can spread the infection directly to humans. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) states that there no evidence that Lyme disease can spread from person-to-person. Western blacklegged tick, Ixodes pacificus.Blacklegged tick (sometimes called the deer tick), Ixodes scapularis.In North America, Lyme disease is transmitted (spread) mainly by two species of ticks:

Infected tick bite skin#

They wait for an animal or person to pass near them and when the animal or person makes contact, the ticks attach themselves to the skin to feed. Ticks cannot fly - they hang onto small bushes or tall grasses and are usually found close to the ground. Ticks can become infected with Borrelia burgdorferi by feeding on infected wild animals, and then can spread the bacteria when they feed on blood from the host. Ticks usually live in woods or tall grasslands in Canada, the United States, Europe, and Asia.