Lyme disease is a threat to people and their pets, especially as people spend more time outdoors in these warmer months.
For Lyme Disease Awareness Month this May, Fox News Digital spoke to health experts about ways to lower the risk of contracting a tick-borne illness such as Lyme disease, especially in areas known to have a high prevalence of cases.
In the U.S., the most reported cases of Lyme occurred in the Mid-Atlantic states, comprising nearly a quarter of cases during the period 2016-2019.
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A high prevalence of white-tailed deer also plays a role in this statistic, the report said. The deer are hosts for the black-legged tick that typically can transmit Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.
An infected tick can transmit the bacteria to a human or pet with just one bite if the tick feeds for at least 24 hours on its host.Â
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An infected tick can transmit the bacteria to a human or pet with just one bite if the tick feeds for at least 24 hours on its host, according to physicians and veterinarians. Prevention and early detection are critical in avoiding this disease as well as other tick related illnesses, they said.
What to do if you find a tick on your body
“The first thing to do is remove the tick, and the sooner the better,” said Andrew Handel, M.D., a pediatric infectious disease expert at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital on Long Island, New York.
If you’re bitten by a tick and live in an area where Lyme disease is highly prevalent, a single prophylactic dose of doxycycline may be used to reduce the risk of developing Lyme disease, said the CDC.
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Your physician will determine if a full course of treatment is necessary based on your individual case.
There are blood tests available to detect if you have Lyme disease. Yet Dr. Handel said that the timing of the test could make a difference when it comes to accuracy.
“As with many infections, Lyme disease is diagnosed by measuring antibodies produced in response to the infection,” he said. “This immune response takes time to develop, so results are often negative in the first month after the tick bite. After that time, the test becomes very reliable.”
In cases where there is an unclear diagnosis of Lyme disease, the doctor will sometimes repeat the antibody titer test a few weeks after the first test was performed, said Handel.
He added, “Stony Brook Children’s Hospital is serving as a study site for the pediatric study. We are hopeful that the vaccine will prove effective and safe and will be available for routine use in the near future.”
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Also, “when going on hikes, make sure to wear pants tucked into your socks, apply insect repellant, and perform a thorough tick check soon after your adventure,” Handel suggested.
It’s also important to check jacket, backpacks and pets for ticks after being outdoors to avoid ticks attaching later to a person, the CDC said.
If you find a tick on your pet, veterinarians advised grabbing tweezers — just as you would with humans — and removing the tick immediately.
Pets with Lyme may show a number of different clinical signs.Â
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“It is possible for ticks to leave their animal hosts and attach to humans as well. Using a fine-tooth flea comb to go over your pet before it comes indoors can help to prevent unwanted parasites from coming inside the house,” Freyer added.
Pets can also succumb to symptoms of Lyme disease, the veterinarian said.
If your dog has been bitten by a tick, Freyer said to talk with your veterinarian, who may provide medication and do a quick point-of-care test that can detect antibodies as early as three to five weeks after a tick bite — even before symptoms are often noticed.
“Ticks are most common in wooded areas with long grass, so if your pets play in your yard, it is best to keep the grass short and shrubs trimmed back. If you have a heavy tick infestation, check out the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Green Paws product guide.”
When it comes to discouraging ticks from migrating to your yard, the CDC recommended clearing tall grasses and brush around lawns and homes.
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