You are having the time of your life with your best friend — your dog. Like always, you cuddle with your dog. This is the time of the day you always look forward to. Playing with your dog, you release all the stress you have accumulated in the course of the day. Suddenly, you feel a slight prickly, tingling sensation on your skin — a tick bite. You think it’s just a tick bite and it doesn’t matter. Think again. Your dog may be your best friend but that tick could be your worst enemy. It can make your life miserable.
Most people are not aware of the harm that a simple tick bite can bring you. Ticks can carry the spirochete Borrelia borgdorferi. It is a bacterium that is commonly transmitted by a tick bite. This bacterium can cause the notorious lyme disease, a multi-stage, multi-system infection.
Discovery of Lyme Disease
The illness was first identified in 1975 in Lyme, Connecticut in the United States. Thus, the name lyme disease (LD). The Center for Disease Control and Prevention claims that this rapidly emerging infectious disease is the leading cause of all insect-borne diseases in America. Although it is a year-round disease, most cases are reported from April to October, the tick season. A huge chunk of the cases are reported in the upper Midwest, Northeast, and Pacific coastal areas. Some cases have been reported in Europe, Asia and parts of Canada.
Risks
The risk of contracting Lyme disease largely depends on the person’s exposure to ticks. It is not transmitted from individual to individual. Those who spend so much time outdoors are more likely to catch this infection. Dogs, cats and other domestic animals can also contract this disease and may carry the evil bacteria with them. If you own one, it is advisable that you visit a veterinarian regularly and ask for tick-control products so you can protect your pet, your family and yourself from Lyme disease.