Lyme Disease: How to Prevent It, and What to Do if a Tick Bites You

You just came back from an invigorating, stress-busting spring hike. Or perhaps you're feeling accomplished because you got some early-season yard work done. And then you notice a tick on your clothing and remember you forgot to apply bug spray. Your mood plummets as you remember ticks spread Lyme disease. Lyme disease gained notoriety when cases spiked in 2022 and 2023, over doubling between 2017 and 2023, according to the CDC. Reported cases went from about 42,700 to about 89,500 annually. These numbers may look scary, but they're due to changes in definitions to better detect the disease, reports the Mayo Clinic. However, it's still important to know about Lyme disease symptoms, prevention and treatment to keep yourself and your family safe and healthy. What is Lyme disease? You can get Lyme disease when a tick bites you, spreading a specific type of bacteria. Dr. Bobbi Pritt, a pathologist who specializes in the laboratory diagnosis of vector-borne and parasitic diseases, expla ... Read full article.