Mosquito-borne Diseases
	Lyme and Other Tick-Borne Diseases

Lyme and Other Tick-Borne Diseases

Lyme disease has spread across the country to California, with more than 20,000 cases annually. Experts suggest that as many as ten times that number actually occur but are not diagnosed or reported.

Lyme disease is rarely fatal but can cause serious long-term health effects. If caught early, it is treatable with antibiotics. Contrary to popular lore, fewer than half of those with a Lyme infection develop the distinctive “bull’s-eye” rash around the site of the tick bite.

For more on Lyme, visit the American Lyme Disease Foundation’s Web site, www.aldf.com. You will find useful tips on locating ticks on your body and removing them. Different species of ticks are shown. Also see www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/list_tickborne.htm for extensive information on tick-borne infections.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever occurs throughout the U.S. from April through September. More than half of the cases occur in the southeast from Delaware to Florida, with highest incidence rates occurring in North Carolina and Oklahoma. Although this disease was first discovered and recognized in the Rocky Mountain area, relatively few cases are reported there.