How is Lyme disease transmitted?
The CDC brochure, Lyme Disease: A Public Information Guide, states: “The Lyme disease bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, is spread through the bite of infected ticks. The black-legged tick (or deer tick, Ixodes scapularis) spreads the disease in the northeastern and north-central United States, and the western black-legged tick (Ixodes pacificus) spreads the disease on the Pacific coast. These ticks are usually found in wooded areas and have complex life cycles. In some regions, black-legged ticks can spread other diseases in addition to Lyme disease, including babesiosis and anaplasmosis.” In general, ticks need to be attached for 36 to 48 hours before they can transmit the Lyme disease bacterium.
