What kind of tick causes lyme disease

Treatment for Lyme disease is more effective if begun early. Visit your doctor even if signs and symptoms disappear — the absence of symptoms doesn't mean the disease is gone. Untreated, Lyme disease can spread to other parts of your body for several months to years after infection, causing arthritis and nervous system problems. Ticks can also transmit other illnesses, such as babesiosis and Colorado tick fever. The deer tick Ixodes scapularis goes through three life stages.

Shown from left to right is the adult female, adult male, nymph and larva on a centimeter scale. In the United States, Lyme disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia mayonii, carried primarily by black-legged or deer ticks.

Young brown ticks often are no bigger than a poppy seed, which can make them nearly impossible to spot. To contract Lyme disease, an infected deer tick must bite you. The bacteria enter your skin through the bite and eventually make their way into your bloodstream. In most cases, to transmit Lyme disease, a deer tick must be attached for 36 to 48 hours. If you find an attached tick that looks swollen, it may have fed long enough to transmit bacteria. Removing the tick as soon as possible might prevent infection.

Where you live or vacation can affect your chances of getting Lyme disease. So can your profession and the outdoor activities you enjoy. The most common risk factors for Lyme disease include:. The best way to prevent Lyme disease is to avoid areas where deer ticks live, especially wooded, bushy areas with long grass. You can decrease your risk of getting Lyme disease with some simple precautions:. Use insect repellents. Parents should apply repellant to their children, avoiding their hands, eyes and mouth.

Keep in mind that chemical repellents can be toxic, so follow directions carefully. Apply products with permethrin to clothing or buy pretreated clothing. Check your clothing, yourself, your children and your pets for ticks. Be especially vigilant after spending time in wooded or grassy areas. You will not get Lyme disease from eating venison or squirrel meat, but in keeping with general food safety principles, always cook meat thoroughly.

Note that hunting and dressing deer or squirrels may bring you into close contact with infected ticks. There is no credible evidence that Lyme disease can be transmitted through air, food, water, or from the bites of mosquitoes, flies, fleas, or lice.

Ticks not known to transmit Lyme disease include Lone star ticks Amblyomma americanum , the American dog tick Dermacentor variabilis , the Rocky Mountain wood tick Dermacentor andersoni , and the brown dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus. How ticks find their hosts. How ticks attach to their hosts. The tick feeding process makes ticks very good at transmitting infection: Depending on the tick species and its stage of life, preparing to feed can take from 10 minutes to 2 hours.

When the tick finds a feeding spot, it grasps the skin and cuts into the surface. The tick then inserts its feeding tube. Many species also secrete a cement-like substance that keeps them firmly attached during the meal. The feeding tube can have barbs, which help keep the tick in place. If the tick is in a sheltered spot, it can go unnoticed. A blacklegged tick will attach to its host and suck the blood slowly for several days. If the host animal has certain bloodborne infections, such as the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, the tick may ingest the pathogen and become infected.

If the tick later feeds on a human, that human can become infected. After feeding, the blacklegged tick drops off and prepares for the next life stage. About Us. Chapter Websites. Hill Day. National Infection Control Week. Public Health Agency of Canada U. Industry Innovation -Past Issues. Canadian Antimicrobial Innovation Coalition. Members Area.

Information for Members. Instructions for Completing Audit Tools. A tick is uniquely suited to carry and spread Lyme disease. Spirochetes have co-evolved with ticks over millions of years. And, because ticks feed on many different animals, they can spread the disease widely. Generally, you can find ticks where the animals they feed on live.

This usually includes wooded and grassy areas. Nymphs and larvae are typically found in layers of decomposing leaves underneath trees. Ticks thrive in damp environments and are less active in hot, dry weather.

Nymphal ticks cause most cases of Lyme disease. Adult ticks can also infect humans, but are easier to spot and remove. Not all ticks are infected. Because tick studies have only been done in a relatively few places, in most of the US, tick infection rates are unknown. Even in places where ticks generally do not carry Lyme, there may be hotspots of infection depending on local conditions.

The tick infection rate may also change from year to year, even in one location. To get a better idea of which tick-borne diseases have been found in your area, check this site.