TICKS THAT TRANSMIT LYME TO MAN

Deer Tick Pacific Black-legged Tick

Photo by John VanDyk, Iowa State Univ.

Dime

SIZE OF TICK

Lyme is transmitted to man primarily by the nymph stage of the deer and Pacific Coast Black-legged ticks.

White-tailed Deer

MAJOR RESERVOIR OF LYME DISEASE

Deer Mouse

MAJOR RESERVOIR OF LYME DISEASE

TRANSMISSION OF LYME DISEASE TO MAN

Lyme is transmitted from the reservoir species to man primarily by the nymph stage of the tick.

TRANSMISSION OF LYME DISEASE TO MAN

The tick waits on a blade of grass or leaf of a shrub with its front legs extended. It crawls onto the potential host when it brushes against the extended front legs.

Lyme is the most common arthropod-borne disease of man in the U.S.

Human Cases of Lyme

DISTRIBUTION OF LYME IN U.S.

COMMON EARLY SYMPTOMS

• Fever• Head Ache• Fatigue• Muscle Pain• Rash

COMMON EARLY SYMPTOMS

Bulls Eye Rash: Erythema Migrans

CHRONIC SYMPTOMS

• Joint Pain• Arthritis• Facial paralysis

SEEKING MEDICAL HELP

If you get any symptoms of tick‑borne diseases in the months following a tick bite, such as a rash or flu-like symptoms, tell your physician that you have been bitten by a tick.

PREVENTION

Stay in the middle of trails to avoid ticks waiting in overhanging grass and brush.

Wear long-legged pants and, for extra protection, long-sleeved shirt and hat.Tuck pant legs into socks or boots to make it more difficult for ticks to reach skin.

PREVENTION

Tuck shirt into pants to make it more difficult for ticks to reach skin.

PREVENTION

• Wear light colored clothing to more easily see ticks.

• Inspect your clothes frequently for ticks when in tick habitat. Have a companion inspect your back.

PREVENTION

• Use repellant deet on exposed skin.

• Use repellant permethryn on pants, shoes and socks.

• Always follow manufacturer’s directions.

PREVENTION

When you get in from the field, inspect your entire body carefully, including your head and back. Have a companion inspect areas you cannot see, use a mirror, or feel for ticks with your fingers.

PREVENTION

THE END