By learning more about Lyme disease, you re taking a step toward preventing the disease. It is an illness transmitted by an infected deer tick. Deer ticks are smaller than the head of a pin and have a painless bite. Lyme disease can trigger a range of serious conditions including heart problems, nerve damage, fatigue or chronic arthritis in the joints. In the United States, people in the north-central and northeast states who spend a lot of time outdoors are at the greatest risk.
Ticks appear mostly in the spring when the weather warms.
A tick must be attached to a person for at least 24 hours to spread the disease. The earliest symptom is a circular, reddish rash surrounding the tick bite. The rash appears usually within a few days to three weeks later. As the disease progresses, symptoms can include fever, chills, headache, joint and muscle aches. These symptoms can also occur without a rash.