Lyme Disease Safety Topic

Overview of Lyme disease including treatment symptoms and prevention.

Transmission

Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease bacterium, most notably lives in small rodents and is transmitted to humans via the black-legged tick. The summer months present a higher risk of tick bites/infection. Employees that work in settings prone toticks, such as the outdoors, should be aware of the signs and symptoms of the disease.

Symptoms

For a mass majority of cases, the first sign of infection is a small circular rash that occurs at the bite site within 3-30 days. Over time, the rash expands, and typically forms a bull’s-eye design. The following are also early symptoms of Lyme disease:

• Fatigue
• Chills
• Fever
• Headache
• Muscle and/or joint aches
• Swollen lymph nodes

Treatment

If working in a tick prone area, employees must perform daily full body checks (including scalp, underarms, and groin areas). Any tick found should be removed with fine tipped tweezers. If the tick was attached for less than 24 hours, the chances of contracting the disease are minute, but…