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Lyme Disease: Ticks, deer, and human disease.


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  • Throat: sore throat with swollen glands, cough, hoarseness, difficulty swallowing

  • Stomach: pain, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, loss of appetite

  • Neurological: headaches, seizures, stiff neck, burning, tingling, or prickling sensations, loss or reflexes, loss of coordination, facial paralysis, mood swings, irritability, poor concentration, memory loss, loss of appetite, depression, disorientation, sleep disturbance, mental deterioration

  • Heart: weakness, dizziness, irregular heart-beat, enlarged heart, fainting, shortness of breath, chest pain

  • Joint: joint aches and pain, muscle pain and redness around joints

  • Skin: single or multiple rash, hives

  • Pregnancy: miscarriage, premature birth, birth defects, stillbirth

  • Other organs: liver infection, swollen spleen, swollen testicles, irregular or ceased menses

    • Blood testing is usually performed to determine if a person has Lyme disease. Unfortunately, the most commonly used blood test (an enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay [ELISA]) can yield false negative (the test says you don't have Lyme disease however, you really do have the disease) and false positive (the test says you have the disease however, you really don't have the disease) results. Other tests are also used such as the Western blot test and the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Test. These tests can also give you false negative results.

    Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics and usually requires a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks of treatment. People that have had the disease for several months to years without treatment or improper treatment may need longer treatment times. There is no vaccine for Lyme disease and people can get Lyme disease again.

    Once again an "ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". Frequently check your body for ticks when going in areas that have ticks. Remember, not all ticks have the Lyme disease bacteria in them. Only a minority of the ticks have this bacteria in them. However, the sooner you remove a Lyme disease-infected tick the less likely you will get Lyme disease. The following steps may help you.

    A. Before you go out apply insect repellents. The use of sprays are a personal choice and can be harmful to some people. If you use them please carefully follow the manufacturer's usage guidelines.

    B. While outside frequently check behind your knees, between fingers and toes, under your arms, in your belly button, in and behind your ear, on your neck, along your hairline and the top of your head. Also be sure to check areas of your body that your clothing presses on your skin such as the elastic band of your underwear.

    C. Once inside, repeat step B and then go back visually and check all other areas of your skin.

    D. Run your fingers gently over the skin. If a tick is attached, it will

    The copyright of the article Lyme Disease: Ticks, deer, and human disease. in Microbiology is owned by Neal Rolfe Chamberlain. Permission to republish Lyme Disease: Ticks, deer, and human disease. in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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