About Lyme Disease

• What is Lyme disease?
• How do people know that they have Lyme disease?
• What is the treatment?
• How do you protect yourself, your child and your pets from Lyme disease?
• What can I do to reduce ticks around my home?
• What should I do if I find a tick on myself, my child or my pet?
• Will my pet get Lyme disease?
• Lyme Disease - Environmental Health (Manitoba Health) Fact Sheet

What is Lyme disease?

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that can be transmitted to people through the bite of a tick. In Manitoba, blacklegged ticks (deer ticks) may carry the Lyme disease bacteria (Borrelia burgdorferi).

How do people know that they have Lyme disease?

Many people (70 to 80 per cent) will develop a rash three to 30 days after a bite from an infected tick.  This rash, known as Erythema migrans (EM), is a red expanding skin rash usually more than five cm in diameter.  It is not tender or itchy and usually occurs at the site of the tick bite; often the centre clears and it looks like a bull’s eye.

The presence of an EM rash is enough evidence for a physician to diagnosis Lyme disease and to give treatment.  The other early symptoms of Lyme disease are common to many diseases.  These symptoms include: a rash other than EM, headache, fatigue, chills, fever, muscle aches, joint pain or swollen lymph nodes.

People with an untreated Lyme disease infection may continue to experience symptoms for months or years, including headaches, dizziness, difficulty concentrating, stiff neck, irregular heartbeat, or joint pain and swelling.

If you are concerned about Lyme disease, contact your doctor.

	Figure 1:  Red, non-raised ring-like rash appearing on inner arm.
	Figure 2: Red, ring-like rash, greater than 5 cm in diameter with typical bull’s eye appearance on patient’s back.
	Figure 3: Red, ring-like rash with lesion in centre, larger than 5 cm in diameter on patient's hip.

 

What is the treatment?

Lyme disease can be successfully treated with antibiotics. Treatment is most successful in the early stages of infection.  Early stage treatment consists of a course of antibiotics for two to three weeks.

How do you protect yourself, your child and your pets from Lyme disease?

• Use trails, whenever possible, and stay to the centre of hiking trails or paths.
• Wear light-coloured clothing to make it easier to see ticks crawling on your clothing.
• Wear long pants and a long-sleeved shirt so that most exposed skin is covered.
• Tuck your shirt into your pants and your pants into your socks; this will make it more difficult for the ticks to attach to your skin.
• Apply an appropriate repellent (it should state ‘for use against ticks’ on the product label) on clothing and exposed skin.  Always read and follow instructions for use.
• After spending time outdoors, inspect yourself and your children for ticks and remove any ticks found as soon as possible. Bathing soon after coming indoors is a good way to find ticks.
• Regularly inspect pets for ticks.

What can I do to reduce ticks around my home?

• In areas where blacklegged tick populations are established, a large number of landscape management strategies can be employed to help reduce the abundance of ticks.
• In general, tick numbers can be lowered by reducing cover and shade, through activities such as keeping grass mowed short, removing leaf litter and trimming other vegetation (shrubs and trees) to minimize shade cover in commonly used areas.
• Also consider creating ‘tick unfriendly’ habitats by using drier, less water-demanding materials such as mulch, gravel, decks or cement in commonly used areas.

What should I do if I find a tick on myself, my child or my pet?

• If a tick is attached to the skin, remove it with tweezers:
  • grasp the tick close to the skin with tweezers and pull slowly upward with steady pressure; avoid twisting or crushing the tick. Other methods, such as using a match, petroleum jelly, soap, etc. are not recommended.
• Cleanse the skin around the tick bite with soap and water or disinfectant.
• Mark the date and location of the tick bite on a calendar for future reference.
• If you develop a rash or other symptoms, see your doctor.

Will my pet get Lyme disease?

Most dogs and cats do not become ill when exposed to the Lyme disease bacteria.  Some may develop symptoms such as fever, loss of appetite and joint pain. Tick control products such as tick collars or topical treatments are available for pets.  Removal of the tick within 24 hours protects the pet from infection.  Vaccines to prevent Lyme disease are also available for dogs; contact your veterinarian for more information.

For further information on Lyme Disease, please visit:

• PHAC-Lyme disease Fact Sheet
• Health Canada - Lyme disease
• CDC-Learn About Lyme Disease

For more information, please contact:
Public Health and Primary Health Care Manitoba Health 4th Floor - 300 Carlton St. Winnipeg Manitoba  R3B 3M9  CANADA Phone:  (204) 788-6791 Fax:       (204) 948-2040	Health Links-Info Santé 788-8200 or toll-free at 1- 888- 315-9257