Although all 50 states have reported some cases of Lyme disease, these nine states make up 90% of the reported cases over the past ten years:  Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Wisconsin.  It’s most common in the northeastern United States and in the Midwest, Minnesota and Wisconsin have the most contracted cases.   

Deer ticks (called that because they are actually found on deer) have the Lyme bacterium in their stomachs.  These ticks then transmit this bacterium to humans with a bite.  The tick can be so small that some people don’t notice the bite.  At times as small as the period at the end of this sentence!  Humans can’t catch Lyme disease from other humans. 

The disease first surfaced in 1975 in a group of children living close to each other in Lyme, Connecticut.  They were all diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.  Their mothers reported this unusual occurrence to researchers who ultimately identified the bacterial cause of the children’s condition and named it Lyme disease by 1982.    

The bacteria enter the skin on a human at the site where the tick bites the body.  Within a few days to weeks of the tick bite, an expanding, un-raised reddish rash will occur in 3 out of 4 patients.  It takes on a bull’s-eye appearance because there is an outer ring of a brighter red color.  Besides the rash, flu-like symptoms are often associated.  These may include fever, headache, generalized fatigue, muscle or joint stiffness, and swollen glands.

The redness can go away in about a month without treatment.  If untreated, however, a few weeks to months later, the bacteria may spread throughout the body.  It can attack the joints, heart, and nervous system.  Some patients even develop arthritis. Thankfully, Lyme disease is rarely, if ever fatal.  

Since the disease can be treated with antibiotics, seek medical attention as soon as symptoms occur.     

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