When untreated, Lyme Disease is known to cause chronic diseases such as arthritis, neurologic symptoms and cardiac problems, but it is not known to be fatal. The rash may not develop for more than a month, if it ever does. A large percentage of cases apparently never develop a rash. Chronic disease symptoms may develop in people weeks, months or years later. The incubation period for Lyme Disease is considered to be three to 30 days.
Treatment usually consistsof antibiotics such as doxycycline or amoxicillin.
The Delaware City-County Health Department promotes good health and improved quality of life in Delaware County. You can also e- mail the health education staff from here. Director Granville remarked that Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected Ixodes tick, commonly known as the deer tick. He noted that Ixodes ticks are generally found in wooded, brushy or grassy areas, and have been steadily moving from the East into the Midwest, including Ohio. The Director noted that people 'at-risk' for Lyme disease are those who work in outdoor professions such as landscaping, forestry and wildlife and parks, and take part in outdoor recreational activities such as camping, fishing, and hiking.