Preventing Lyme Disease

Key points

  • The best way to protect yourself from Lyme disease is to prevent tick bites.
  • You may be at risk if you spend time outdoors in areas where Lyme disease occurs.
  • Lyme disease is most common in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, and upper-Midwest regions of the United States.
A dad applies insect repellent to his child's leg to prevent tick bites.

Overview

The bacteria that cause Lyme disease are spread to people through the bites of infected blacklegged ticks, also called deer ticks. Lyme disease is the leading cause of tickborne disease in the United States, with an estimated 476,000 Lyme disease infections diagnosed and treated each year. Preventing tick bites is the best way to protect yourself and loved ones from Lyme disease.

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An adult female blacklegged tick questing on a stick.
An adult female blacklegged tick is standing on a stick and questing. While questing, the tick extends its front legs and waits to climb on to a passing host, like a person or an animal.

Exposure

If you spend time outdoors in areas where Lyme disease occurs, you could be bitten by an infected blacklegged tick. Most cases of Lyme disease happen in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, and upper-Midwest regions of the United States. Some Lyme disease cases occur on the Pacific Coast.

Fact

Many people who develop Lyme disease are exposed to infected ticks in their own yards or neighborhoods, not just in wooded or rural areas.

Pets can also carry ticks into your home or yard from outside, which can then attach to or bite a person later. Although dogs and cats can get Lyme disease, there is no evidence they can spread it directly to people.

Most cases of Lyme disease are reported in the summer months, though Lyme disease cases occur year-round. Blacklegged ticks can be active and bite people any time winter temperatures are above freezing.

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Two blacklegged (deer) ticks sitting on an index finger. Adult female tick (left) and nymphal tick (right).
Two blacklegged ticks easily fit on a person’s index finger. The photo shows an adult female tick (left) and a nymphal tick (right). Both adult and nymphal ticks bite people.

Prevention steps and strategies

Prevent tick bites when outdoors

  • Avoid grassy, brushy, or wooded areas where ticks live.
  • Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone.
  • Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants, or clothing and gear pre-treated with 0.5% permethrin.
  • Check your body, clothing, gear, and pets for ticks during and after being outdoors, including in your own backyard.
  • Remove attached ticks as soon as possible. Do not wait to go to a healthcare provider to remove the tick. Delaying tick removal could increase your risk of getting Lyme disease or other diseases spread through tick bites.

Tip

Woman and child gardening. Text: 20 seconds applying EPA-registered insect repellent, 1 hour gardening, No Time for Lyme. Apply repellent according to label instructions. CDC logo.
A few minutes of prevention can make a difference. Always read label instructions before applying insect repellent to learn how often you can reapply.

Prevent ticks on pets

  • Use a tick preventive product on your dog. Talk to your veterinarian about the best tick prevention product for your dog.
  • Cats are extremely sensitive to a variety of chemicals. Do not apply any tick prevention products to your cats without first asking your veterinarian.
  • Check pets for ticks daily if they go outdoors.

Reduce tick habitat in your yard

  • Place a 3-foot-wide barrier of wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas to discourage contact with brushy or grassy borders beyond the lawn.
  • Keep grass mowed, remove leaf litter, and clear tall grasses and brush. Fewer blacklegged ticks have been found on well-maintained lawns that are not near brushy or grassy areas.
  • Trim tree branches and shrubs to let in more sunlight. Ticks are less likely to be found in bright, sunny areas.
  • Keep playground equipment, decks, and patios away from grassy, brushy, or wooded areas.
Keep Reading Preventing Tick Bites

Post-exposure antibiotics

In general, CDC does not recommend antibiotics after tick bites to prevent tickborne diseases. However, in certain circumstances, a single dose of doxycycline after a tick bite in an area where Lyme disease is common may lower the risk of Lyme disease. Ask your healthcare provider if antibiotics after a tick bite are appropriate for you.

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Content Source:
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)