May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month! But many people don’t find out about Lyme Disease until they or someone they know has contracted it. Let’s dive into the facts:
What is Lyme disease?
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that comes from being bitten by a blacklegged tick.
Symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue and skin rash. If the disease is left untreated, it can spread to your joints, heart and nervous system.
What do I do to prevent Lyme disease?
1.Start with the prevention of tick bites by avoiding grassy, bushy or wooded areas, and even avoiding contact with animals that have been near these types of areas.
2. Treat your clothes and gear with EPA-registered insect repellents.
3.Stay in the center of walking trails.
4.Check yourself and your pets after walking through an area where ticks may be present. Showering within two hours of being outside is another good way to remove ticks.
5. If you or your pet have a tick, remove the tick as soon as possible.
What if I think I have Lyme disease?
Consult your doctor immediately. People treated with antibiotics usually recover very quickly.
Want to learn more about Lyme disease?
Check out this helpful information: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ebW7NgZjfigSkZr9tVv0yvEpwzH7GrKu/view?usp=sharing
For more information about ticks, including removal instructions and an online tick ID request, please visit our website at: https://myfcph.org/environmental-health/community-environmental-health/vector/ticks/