Lyme Disease and Related Tick-Borne Infections - Prevention

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Tick Removal. If an attached tick is discovered, there is no reason to panic. Do not put a hot match to the tick or try to smother it with petroleum jelly, nail polish, or other substances. This only prolongs exposure time and may cause the tick to eject the Lyme organism into the body.

The safest and most effective way to remove an attached tick is:

• Grasp the tick's mouth area with clean tweezers as close to the skin as possible. (Take care not to handle it with bare fingers as this can also spread infection.)
• Next, pull upward with a steady even pressure. Do not twist, crush, or squeeze the body area of the tick, because this region contains the infectious organism. In fact, do not be alarmed if some of the mouth parts remain in the skin. They are not infectious.
• Put the tick in a jar or container of alcohol, which will kill it. Some people lay a piece of adhesive tape to the top of the tick and fold it over, without touching the insect. Then they simply throw it away. Tape is also effective for trapping a tick that has not yet attached to the skin.
• Once the tick is removed, wash the bite area with soap and water or with an antiseptic to destroy any contaminating microorganisms. Wash hands as well.

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Protecting Pets

Since dogs, cats and even horses can get Lyme disease, inspect pets for ticks regularly. Symptoms in animals include lameness and lethargy. Dogs are much more likely to get Lyme disease than cats, but both are susceptible. In dogs, symptoms occur 2 - 5 months after a tick bite and include fever, lameness, and lack of appetite. In rare cases, Lyme disease can cause kidney damage in dogs if it is left untreated.

Preventive Products. Products containing permethrin (Bio Spot, EXspot), amitraz (Preventic), or fipronyl (Frontline) can be used safely on dogs. Not all of these products are safe in cats. Only permethrin is also effective against fleas.

Pet Vaccines. Lyme disease vaccines are available for dogs, but they do not offer total protection. Veterinarians vary in their use of the vaccines. There is no Lyme disease vaccine for humans.

Treatment. As with people, antibiotics almost always cure the infection in animals.

Review Date: 01/13/2011
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).