Key Points
Bacteria carried by blacklegged (Ixodes) ticks cause Lyme disease in the United States.
The infection must be transmitted by ticks remaining attached for more than 24 hours.
Mostly forested portions of the northeastern, north-central, and mid-Atlantic states, as well as some Pacific Coast regions, are home to infected ticks.
Apreciating Lyme Disease Transmission
The bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi and, to a lesser degree, B. mayonii are the main causes of Lyme disease in the United States. Human infection by B. burgdorferi is spread by the bite of infected black-legged ticks, sometimes known as deer ticksThe northeasternrn, mid-Atlantic, and north-central United States, as well as portions of the Pacific Coast are home to the black-legged tick.
Avoiding tick bites and swiftly removing them are the best ways to avoid contracting Lyme disease. Ticks are present all over the country. It takes a blood meal and extreme small size for blacklegged tick nymphs to transmit the disease to people in less than three days. Although the disease can be spread to animals by both females and nymphs, only females can pass it on to their progeny. While deer are a significant tick food supply, they do not impart the germs that cause Lyme disease to the ticks.
Remove Ticks
Reducing the chance of infection depends on quickly removing connected ticks. Generally speaking, a tick must be connected for longer than 24 hours in order to spread the Lyme disease germs. The earlier a tick is removed in an endemic location, the better. Blacklegged ticks carrying the infection have bitten people in some locations anytime between late spring and early fall. Generally speaking, though, the nymphal ticks—which are most common from April through July—present the biggest risk to people. Because they are so tiny—about the size of a poppy seed—nymphal ticks can be difficult to discover and cunning in their biting. Though they are equally capable of spreading the infection, adult female ticks are bigger and easier to locate and remove before they have remained attached long enough to spread Lyme disease.
Additional Transmission Routes
Despite the lack of reliable proof, investigations on animals have shown that sexual transmission of Lyme disease does not seem to be viable. When Lyme disease strikes a pregnant woman, the placenta can become infected. Rarely does transmission to the fetus occur; very few cases have been recorded. In such situations, the infant showed no adverse effects from antibiotic therapy. Making sure the antibiotics are safe for their infants is a responsibility of nursing women receiving treatment for Lyme disease. Breast milk cannot spread Lyme disease.
Although blood held for transfusion has been demonstrated to support the bacteria, there are no known instances of Lyme disease being spread by blood transfusion. While on antibiotics and for a few weeks after, those receiving treatment for Lyme disease should not donate blood. They could be qualified to donate once their antibiotic course is over.
Lyme Disease and Animals
Though they can bring sick ticks inside the home and yard, dogs and cats cannot directly spread Lyme disease to humans. Apply tick repellent to your dogs.
Safety of Foods
Lyme disease cannot be contracted by eating wild game animals. As with handling any raw meat, it is prudent to use certain safeguards. Person-to-person transmission of Lyme disease is impossible. The bacteria that cause Lyme disease must move from the site of a tick bite through the bloodstream. The bacteria that cause Lyme disease are not spread by other human-biting vectors, including flies, mosquitoes, fleas, or lice. Some ticks, like the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis), brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus), Rocky Mountain wood tick (D. andersoni), and lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum), are just pests and do not carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease.
Synopsis
Knowing how Lyme disease spreads and the stages of the blacklegged tick’s life is crucial to helping prevent it. There exist several ways to stop the sickness from spreading: Tick control treatments should be used on pets, avoid places where tick infestations are known to occur, and check for and remove ticks as soon as possible.