This flu-like illness usually occurs out of flu season, in the spring and summer when ticks bite. The rash of Lyme disease is different from the small red area that often develops just around the bite from a common tick . Many people bitten by an infected tick develop a large, expanding skin rash around the area of the bite. Some people may get more than one rash. The rash may feel hot to the touch and is usually not painful.
Rashes vary in size, shape, and color, but often look like a red ring with a clear center .
The outer edges expand slowly in size. It is easy to miss the connection between the rash and a tick bite. The rash develops from three days to as long as a month after a tick bite. Almost one third of those with Lyme disease never get the rash. Joint or muscle pain may be another early sign of Lyme disease.