Doctor debunks misconceptions about ticks ahead of their summer comeback

With the arrival of warm weather, officials say ticks will be soon be out in full force.

News 12 Staff

May 25, 2019, 9:19 PM

Updated 1,797 days ago

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With the arrival of warm weather, officials say ticks will be soon be out in full force.
Dr. Eric Weinberg, the director of education at PM Pediatrics, spoke to News 12 about misconceptions people have about ticks and Lyme disease.
Dr. Weinberg said there are two common misconceptions, one being if you’re bitten you’re going to get Lyme disease. He said the actual risk for Lyme disease after being bitten by a tick is 1 to 2 percent.
The second misconception is that Lyme disease can’t be treated. According to Dr. Weinberg, with a simple course of antibiotics, usually 10 days to two weeks, you can be cured.
Ticks latch on to anyone and they often go undetected.
Dr. Weinberg told News 12 it takes 24 hours or more to transmit Lyme disease from the tick to person they are biting.
In other words, if you take the tick off early, your risk of Lyme disease is almost nil. If the symptoms are missed, however, it can develop into secondary Lyme disease.

The most common symptom of Lyme disease is a bull's-eye, which can appear up to 30 days after being bitten.


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