Lyme Disease

Abstract

Welcome to Public Health Moment from the University of Minnesota. May is Lyme disease awareness month. And while many people know that bites from a Deer tick can transmit Lyme disease to humans, most are unaware of two similar diseases spread by deer ticks. Craig Hedberg, a professor of environmental health sciences at the University of Minnesota, says the three diseases exhibit similar symptoms. <clip: “The key leading sign of lyme disease is…transmitted by ticks, as well, human anaplasmosis and babeziosis.”> If untreated, Lyme disease can lead to chronic inflammation of joints, facial palsy, memory loss, and irregular heart rhythms. As a result, Hedberg says that if you notice these symptoms, you should immediately seek medical care. <clip: “These are all treatable with anti-biotics…of the disease down the road.”> With another Public Health Moment, I’m John Finnegan.