Lyme Disease

How much of a threat is Lyme Disease in Harford County?

When do you see most of the cases?

Where do most children come into contact with ticks?

Maryland is among the most highly endemic areas for Borrelia burgdorferi, the organism that causes Lyme disease.  Borrelia infects the deer tick - a tiny tick that is about the size of a sesame seed when not engorged.  Like all ticks, these ticks can be found in areas of tall grasses and weeds and in wooded areas.

In our area, one can contract Lyme disease year-round, however the peaks are in the summer and fall months.  In 1998 in Harford County there were eighty-eight cases of Lyme disease reported to the Health Department.

What can parents do to protect their children from tick bites and Lyme disease?

When an infected tick takes a blood meal from a human, that person can become infected.  The tick must be attached for 36 to 48 hours to transmit the disease.  Prompt removal of ticks is important to prevent Lyme disease.  I recommend nightly tick checks.

To remove a tick, use blunt tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the attachment site as possible and pull out firmly (I find tweezers can macerate the tick so I prefer to use my fingers.  Always wash you hands well after handling a tick!  Remember that the ticks on you pets carry the same infectious diseases.)

Once the tick is removed, wash the site of bite well with soap and water.  The initial redness at the site is a reaction to tick saliva.  If the head of the tick is not removed, do not panic!  It will work its way out on its own in a few days.  There is little risk of disease transmission from an isolated head.

Of course the best way to prevent tick-borne illness is to keep the ticks off in first place.  Wear long sleeves with cuffs and long pants tucked into socks when heading into areas of tall grasses or woods.

Consider use of a bug spray.  Those containing DEET are most affective, however use in small children should be limited.

There is now a vaccine available to prevent Lyme disease.  It has been approved for those fifteen years old and older.  It may be approved for younger children as early as next year.

Those individuals who spend much time in tick infested areas in Maryland should consider the vaccination.  Complete immunization requires three doses given over a one-year period.  

Is Lyme Disease treatable?

Yes.

With early diagnosis, and a 21 day course of antibiotics, success rate for cure is excellent in children and teenagers. Children with only a tick bite do not require preventative antibiotics.