CHA Physician Provides Insight on Tick-born Diseases

Submitted by Lou Ann Bruno-Murtha, DO, Medical Director of Infection Prevention, Cambridge Health Alliance, Somerville Hospital

Summer outdoor activities provider for fun and exercise with friends and family as well as tick-borne diseases, unfortunately. The most common tick-borne illness regionally is Lyme disease. Since 2004, cases of Lyme disease have more than tripled nationwide. Massachusetts is among one of the 10 states with the highest number of cases reported in nearly every city and town. Now is a perfect moment to review the symptoms of Lyme disease and learn about prevention and treatment.

Prevention
When you are spending time outside, walking, hiking or riding your bike, pay attention to heavily wooded or grassy areas for those are the spots where ticks are most commonly found. For folks enjoying outdoor activities, we recommend protective clothing, application of insect repellent containing DEET (products with 24% DEET are effective up to 5 hours) and daily tick checks. When you return home, wash clothing on high heat and take a hot shower if you believe that you had contact with ticks. Also, remember to give your animal a quick tick check because they tend to hide on pets too.

Lyme Disease Transmission and Illness
Lyme is spread by the black-legged deer tick. The longer the tick is attached to the skin, the greater chance of infection. The tick must be attached for more than 36 hours for infection to occur.

The incubation period ranges from 3-30 days and the most common finding is a ring-like rash. This may be accompanied by a headache, tiredness, fever, muscle pain and chills. If you or a loved one believe that you have been infected by a tick, please call your doctor’s office immediately.

Treatment
Individuals treated with the correct antibiotics in the early stages of Lyme disease usually recover completely. Antibiotics typically used include amoxicillin, doxycycline and cefuroxime axetil. People with certain cardiac problems may need intravenous treatment with antibiotics.

If you are exploring options in health care, contact Cambridge Health Alliance by calling 617-665-1305 or visit www.challiance.org/cha/find-a-doctor.

About Cambridge Health Alliance
Cambridge Health Alliance is an academic community health system committed to providing high quality care in Cambridge, Somerville and Boston’s metro-north communities. CHA has expertise in primary care, specialty care and mental health/substance use services, as well as caring for diverse and complex populations. It includes three hospital campuses, a network of primary care and specialty practices and the Cambridge Public Health Dept. CHA patients have seamless access to advanced care through the system’s affiliation with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. CHA is a Harvard Medical School teaching affiliate and is also affiliated with Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard School of Dental Medicine and Tufts University School of Medicine. For more information, visit www.challiance.org.