Lyme Disease: A Growing Public Health Threat for Connecticut Citizens

Lyme disease is transmitted to humans and pets by a bite of the tiny deer tick. Deer ticks become infected during the larva and nymph phases by feeding on small mammals and birds which harbor the Lyme bacterium.

From left to right: The deer tick (Ixodes scapularis) adult female, adult male, nymph, and larva on a centimeter scale.

Later in their development, the infected nymphs and adults transfer the Lyme bacteria to animals during feeding. The rising number of deer and other small wildlife in suburban areas is linked to increasing numbers of ticks and Lyme disease cases.

Risk:

In the United States, Lyme disease is mostly localized to states in the northeastern, mid-Atlantic, and upper north-central regions, and to several counties in California.

In 2002, 23,763 cases of Lyme disease were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ninety-five percent of these cases were from the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Rhode Island, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Astonishingly, the CDC estimates that only 10-20% of cases are reported.

Most cases of Lyme disease occur in late spring and early summer when the nymphal state of the tick is active. The highest incidence of the disease in Connecticut is seen in young children as their play activities often place them at risk.

Signs & Symptoms

Most people develop a red rash, called erythema migrans (EM), within 3-21 days of a tick bite. The painless rash gradually expands often reaching 5 centimeters or more in diameter and disappears without treatment. The presence of an EM rash larger than a quarter in diameter usually confirms a diagnosis of Lyme disease.

Other common symptoms are flu-like, including fatigue, muscle and joint pain, fever, headache, chills and stiff neck. Fever is usually low-grade. Co-infection should be considered if one's temperature remains high.

Illness from Lyme Disease

Days and weeks after the bite of an infected tick, neurologic or cardiac problems may occur. Arthritis (especially the knee) and ocular maladies such as conjunctivitis are fairly common.

Illness from persistent infection (a year or more) of untreated or misdiagnosed Lyme disease may include numbness of the extremities, sensory loss, disturbances in memory, mood or sleep, and chronic arthritis.

Pets are at risk too!

People often think of Lyme disease as a threat to humans, but it is also a threat to dogs and cats and is transmitted (as with humans) by the deer tick. In Connecticut, dog ticks do not carry Lyme disease.

Lyme disease can affect pets differently. Some animals may show subtle symptoms while others may show none at all. Prevention is the key to eliminating Lyme disease in your pet. Always run your hands through the coat of your pet when it comes inside. You will usually feel a bump where the tick is attached.

In pets, symptoms of Lyme disease are hard to recognize and often may be confused with other illnesses or old age. Be observant of your pet's actions. It is the only way to know if your pet has contracted Lyme disease if no tick was found.

Symptoms of Canine Lyme disease include:

• Limping (usually on the foreleg) -- progresses over 3 - 4 days. The disease can progress from mild discomfort to where a dog will be in such pain, it will refuse to move.
• Lymph node swelling in the affected limb
• Lameness
• Fever

Dogs treated within the first week of symptoms will respond rapidly to treatment.

Lyme disease in cats is less common, but possible. Cats tend to groom themselves before ticks can attach themselves. While less dangerous to cats than with dogs, problems can occur if the disease goes unnoticed and undiagnosed.

Symptoms of Feline Lyme disease include:

• Little movement for days at a time
• Hesitant about jumping or climbing stairs
• Limping or seeming unwilling to put weight on a paw
• Pain in muscles and joints
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Loss of appetite

Prevention of Lyme Disease in Your Pets

• Check daily for ticks, especially during the spring and early summer.
• Pull off the ticks you find using thin-tipped tweezers. Grasp where mouth parts enter the skin. Pull upward in a slow, steady motion. Do not squeeze ticks or use other methods of removal. Clean the bite area with an antiseptic or soap and water.
• Reduce the tick population around your home by making simple landscape modifications and spraying.
• When walking pets, keep to the center of trails to avoid overhanging brush. Dogs should wear a flea and tick collar.