CDPHP is urging Capital Region residents to become familiar with the signs and symptoms of Lyme disease. According to CDPHP, cases of the bacterial disease have been on the rise in recent years in the Capital Region.
Elizabeth Whalen, MD, MPH, medical director, CDPHP said 60 to 80 percent of people infected with the disease display a rash resembling a bulls eye or solid red patch, from two to six inches in diameter. The rash is usually not painful or itchy and it appears three to 30 days after a tick bite.
“Antibiotics are most effective when administered during this time period. Patients who are treated in this early stage of Lyme disease usually recover rapidly and completely,” said Whalen.
Reducing exposure to ticks is the best prevention against Lyme disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends several methods to avoid being bitten by a tick.
