Merck Manuals Details What Patients and Parents Should Know as Lyme Disease Diagnoses Increase Nationwide

Latest editorial outlines how to find and treat tick-borne disease - plus how to prevent it

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Jul 19, 2021, 10:00 ET

KENILWORTH, N.J., July 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The number of people in the United States diagnosed with Lyme disease has increased in recent years. Doctors believe there are multiple reasons for this increase in the most common tick-borne illness in the United States. It's important for patients – and physicians – to consider Lyme disease when they're experiencing symptoms, even if they don't live in areas where it's traditionally been found in the past.

In a recent editorial, Larry Bush, MD, FACP, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, outlines why the illness is spreading. He details what people in areas where the deer, mice, and ticks carrying the bacteria responsible for the disease are found should know as they look to prevent, identify, and treat it.

1. Lyme Disease is Increasing in the United States
Some of the increase can be attributed to a rise in awareness and testing, but public health experts say development in wooded areas where the animals carrying Lyme disease, as well as shifting weather patterns, are also playing a role. The vast majority of Lyme disease cases today occur on the northeastern coast from Maine to Virginia and in the Midwest in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan. On the West Coast, most cases occur in northern California and Oregon.

2. Not Everyone With Lyme Disease Gets the Bull's Eye Rash
Most people associate Lyme disease with the tell-tale bull's eye rash that appears at the site of the tick bite. In reality, only about three out of four people ever develop or spot the rash, depending on the location of the bite. In addition to watching for the rash to appear, people should also be alert for symptoms suggestive of Lyme disease that appear within the first few days or weeks after being bitten -- fatigue, chills, fever, headaches, stiff neck, muscle aches, and painful, swollen joints.

3. Early Treatment of Lyme Disease is Critical
If you suspect you might have Lyme disease, the earlier you see a doctor, the better. Often, if a patient lives in a Lyme disease-prone area, has recently spent time outdoors, and has that typical bull's eye rash, a doctor will assume it's Lyme disease and begin treatment. Treatment consists of antibiotics and starting the course of medication early enough after the bite has been shown to actually prevent people from contracting Lyme disease at all. Make it a habit to check yourself and children for bites after spending time in wooded areas or where deer tick are prevalent.

4. Lyme Disease is Preventable
The best way to avoid contracting Lyme disease is to avoid being bitten by a deer tick. If you plan to be outdoors in an area where Lyme disease is common, take some commonsense steps to protect yourself:

Stay on paths and trails when walking in wooded areas
Wear long-sleeved shirts
Wear long pants and tuck them into boots or socks
Wear light-colored clothing to make ticks easier to see
Apply an insect repellent containing diethyltoluamide (DEET) to the skin

Read more about Lyme disease in Dr. Bush's editorial on MerckManuals.com

About The Merck Manuals and MSD Manuals
First published in 1899 as a small reference book for physicians and pharmacists, The Merck Manual grew in size and scope to become one of the world's most widely used comprehensive medical resources for professionals and consumers. As The Manual evolved, it continually expanded the reach and depth of its offerings to reflect the mission of providing the best medical information to a wide cross-section of users, including medical professionals and students, veterinarians and veterinary students, and consumers. In 2015, The Manuals kicked off Global Medical Knowledge 2020, a global initiative with the goal to make the best current medical information accessible by up to three billion professionals and patients around the world by 2020. The Manuals achieved that goal, and today its medical information is available in more than 241 counties and in dozen languages. It's continuing its ambitious mission through outreach, education and creating new reliable medical resources. For access to thousands of medical topics with images, videos and a constantly expanding set of resources, visit MerckManuals.com or MSDManuals.com and connect with us on social media:

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About Merck
For 130 years, Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world's most challenging diseases in pursuit of our mission to save and improve lives. We demonstrate our commitment to patients and population health by increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. Today, Merck continues to be at the forefront of research to prevent and treat diseases that threaten people and animals – including cancer, infectious diseases such as HIV and Ebola, and emerging animal diseases – as we aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

SOURCE The Merck Manuals