Lyme Disease awareness: know the facts Published June 1, 2011 By Staff Sgt. Aloysius Moore 52nd Aerospace Medicine Squadron Public Health SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- Lyme disease is an infection transmitted by the bite of certain, very small, infected ticks. Lyme disease gets its name from the town of Lyme, Conn., where the illness was first identified in the United States in 1975. The tick most frequently associated with Lyme disease in Germany is the Castor Bean Tick, or the Sheep Tick. Lyme disease is caused by a corkscrew-shaped bacterium, or spirochete, called Borrelia burgdorferi. Ticks infected with the bacterium spread the disease to humans. Cases of Lyme disease have been reported by nearly every state in Germany. Ticks become infected with the Lyme disease bacterium by feeding on infected animals, such as mice and other wild rodents. Lyme disease is passed to humans and other animals when a tick infected with the bacterium bites the person or animal and stays attached long enough to take a blood meal, which is usually more than 24 hours. The tick that spreads Lyme disease has a two-year life cycle and feeds once in each of its three life stages -- larvae, nymph, and adult. In the tick's larvae stage, it is tan and about the size of a pinhead. It feeds on small animals like mice. During the nymph stage, the tick is the size of a poppy seed and is beige colored or partially transparent. It feeds on larger animals such as cats, dogs, and humans. Adult ticks are black and/or reddish and feed on large mammals such as deer, dogs, and humans. The early stage of Lyme disease is usually marked by one or more of these signs and symptoms: tiredness, chills and fever, headache, muscle and/or joint pain, swollen lymph glands, and a characteristic skin rash. The skin rash is a red circular patch about two-inches in diameter that appears and expands around the site of the tick bite. The center may clear as it enlarges, resulting in a "bulls-eye" appearance. The rash may be warm, but it usually is not painful or itchy. Early symptoms can develop within a week to a few weeks of the tick bite. Other symptoms can appear weeks, months, or years later. Lyme disease is diagnosed by a physical examination and medical history. The clinical diagnosis is supported by laboratory testing. Diagnosis is easiest when there is a skin rash. Lyme disease can affect anyone. People who spend time in brushy and wooded areas are at increased risk of exposure. The chances of being bitten by a tick are greatest during times of the year when ticks are most active. Re-infection from tick bites is possible after treatment. A Lyme disease vaccine is under development but is not yet available. The only sure way to prevent the disease is to avoid exposure to infected ticks. Especially avoid areas where wild mice might live, such as the edges of yards, fields, and woods with low, dense groundcover. If this is not possible, you can reduce your risk by taking these precautions: During outside activities, wear long sleeves and long pants tucked into socks. Wear a hat, and tie hair back. Use insecticides to repel or kill ticks. Repellents containing the compound DEET can be used on exposed skin except for the face, but they do not kill ticks and are not 100 percent effective in discouraging ticks from biting. Products containing permethrin kill ticks, but they cannot be used on the skin -- only on clothing. When using any of these chemicals, follow label directions carefully. Be especially cautious when using them on children. After outdoor activities, check yourself for ticks, and have a "buddy" check you, too. Check body areas where ticks are commonly found: behind the knees, between the fingers and toes, under the arms, in and behind the ears, and on the neck, hairline, and top of the head. Check places where clothing presses on the skin. Remove attached ticks promptly. Removing a tick before it has been attached for more than 24 hours greatly reduces the risk of infection. If you remove a very small tick and want to have it tested for Lyme disease, place it in a clean pill vial or tight-sealed plastic storage bag with a moistened cotton swab and call the 52nd Aerospace Medical Squadron Public Health Office at 452-8308. If you find a tick attached to your skin, there's no need to panic. A plain set of fine-tipped tweezers will remove a tick quite effectively. To remove a tick use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin's surface as possible. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don't twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you are unable to remove the mouth easily with clean tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal. After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water. Avoid folklore remedies such as "painting" the tick with nail polish or petroleum jelly, or using heat to make the tick detach from the skin. Your goal is to remove the tick as quickly as possible -- not waiting for it to detach. If you develop a rash or fever within several weeks of removing a tick, see your doctor. Be sure to tell the doctor about your recent tick bite, when the bite occurred, and where you most likely acquired the tick. This information is not meant to be used for self-diagnosis or as a substitute for consultation with your health-care provider. If you have any questions about the disease described above, consult your health-care provider.