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Lyme disease

Lyme Disease is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, a bacterium and transmitted by the bite of an infected black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis) or deer tick, which must be attached to the skin for at least 24 hours for transmission to occur.
Not every tick bite causes Lyme disease.
Concentrated in the Northeast and Upper Midwest United States (including Maryland).

Recognize the symptoms

From 3–30 days after a tick bite, a gradually expanding rash (called erythema migrans) occurs at the site of the tick bite in 70-80% of infected people. The rash can expand over several days to up to 12 inches and may resemble a bull’s eye (the rash is rarely itchy).

Other symptoms may include fever, headache, and fatigue.

If untreated, the disease may spread within a few days to weeks and may cause a loss of muscle tone on one or both sides of the face, severe headaches and neck stiffness, shooting pains that may interrupt sleep, heart palpitations and dizziness, and pain that shifts from joint to joint.

After several months, 60% of untreated patients may develop severe joint pain and swelling, particularly in the knees. Up to 5% percent of untreated patients may experience neurological symptoms, including shooting pains, numbness or tingling in the hands or feet, and problems with concentration and short term memory.

Contact your health care provider if you develop any of these symptoms after a tick bite or after being in tick habitat.
Most cases of Lyme disease can be cured with antibiotics, especially when treatment is started early.