Is Lyme Disease contagious? Fortunately, there is only one way you can get Lyme Disease, and you can't spread it to others. The disease can lead to complications, however, so it's important to know how to protect yourself and your family.
Tick Bites
The only way to contract Lyme Disease is to be bitten by a tick. Lyme disease is caused by a type of bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi that is carried in the saliva of deer ticks. The ticks pick up the bacteria from the animals they feed on, then pass it on to humans when they bite. You cannot spread Lyme Disease to another person. Only extended contact with an infected tick allows the bacteria to enter the body.
Fortunately, the bacteria is slow to spread. A tick usually has to be attached to the body for 24 hours for the bacteria to enter the bloodstream, although infection can happen more quickly than this. Prompt removal of any ticks that you find on your body may prevent you from getting Lyme Disease.
Keeping Ticks at Bay
You can prevent Lyme disease by wearing long sleeved-shirts and long pants whenever you enter woods or fields. Tuck pant legs into your shoes or boots, or tie them tightly around your ankles to keep ticks from climbing up the legs.
Check yourself for ticks as soon as you leave an area where they might live. Remove ticks from clothing if you do find any. Because the tick must be actually feeding to transmit the disease, you may spare yourself from infection if you remove the tick quickly enough.
If you find a tick that is already feeding, you will need to remove it using tweezers. Pull the tick straight out from your body without twisting the tweezers. You want to grasp onto the tick as close to the skin as possible, so you can be sure to remove the tick's head in its entirety. If the head remains lodged in your skin, your chances of infection go up considerably. See your doctor right away and bring the tick's body with you. The doctor will want to see the actual tick. Tape the tick to a piece of paper or place it in a jar with a secure cover.
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Learn about the later symptoms of Lyme Disease and the long-term complications this disease can cause. |
