Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that can be contracted from the deer or black-legged tick. Deer ticks resemble small dog ticks. This disease occurs in both North America and Europe, although different species of deer ticks are often responsible for spreading it.

The symptoms of Lyme disease look different for each person. However, they can commonly include a bull’s-eye rash spreading from the sting site and flu-like symptoms. Later cases of Lyme disease may also show musculoskeletal, neurological, cardiac, arthritic, and mental symptoms. People who develop late-stage Lyme disease may develop disabilities, and the further the disease is allowed to progress, the more difficult it becomes to treat. However, in the early stages, Lyme disease can usually be beaten with antibiotics. Some symptoms may continue after treatment, possibly as a form of autoimmune response, since the disease has been eliminated.

Lyme disease was first recorded in the late 1880s in Germany and formally documented in 1909. Penicillin began to be used as a treatment for the disease in the late 1940s. The popular name for Lyme disease is Lyme hails from Lyme and Old Lyme, the Connecticut towns where it was observed in 1975. In rare cases, mothers can pass Lyme disease to their fetuses during pregnancy. This tends to result in a stillbirth. There have also been some reports that the disease is transmitted to humans through the bite of insects such as flies. Anecdotal reports state that it can be transmitted sexually, but so far there are no documented cases of transmission of Lyme disease in this way.

Deforestation is one of the reasons for the increase in Lyme disease infections in humans. Suburban sprawl has brought more contact between humans and areas that harbor many ticks, and has eliminated several of the most common harbor predators for those ticks (deer, chipmunks, etc.). This means that the population of animals that can support Lyme disease by carrying ticks is higher than ever, and humans are at greater risk.

Lyme disease is the most common disease in North America that is spread by ticks. It is one of the fastest growing infectious conditions. Prevention of infection can be done by avoiding areas where ticks are found. Wear clothing that covers your entire body when you enter such an area, and then check your body carefully for ticks. If you suspect you may have Lyme disease, see a doctor right away for treatment.