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Symptoms of Lyme Disease |
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Fever and chills
Fatigue
Headache
Body aches
Joint pain
Bullseye rash
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Causes
Lyme disease is caused when an infected deer tick transmits bacteria through a bite. Lyme disease is carried by deer and by some small animals such as rodents. Known as Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria enter the bloodstream and invade body tissues. The tick usually needs to be attached at least 36 hours to transmit the bacteria.
People usually get Lyme disease in late spring and early summer when they are outside more often. But they can also get the disease in the fall. In spring, a tick is in the nymph stage, which is considerably smaller than an adult tick and harder to spot. Because the nymphs are so tiny, you may be bitten without ever knowing it.
More on Lyme Lyme Disease
In the Encyclopedia:
Lyme disease
This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.
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