Lyme Disease symptoms mimic the flu with fever, headache, fatigue, depression but also involve a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. Left untreated late manifestations involving joints, heart and nervous system can occur.
Since first documented in 1993, Connecticut has the second highest rate of Lyme disease and deer tick exposure to humans, only New York has a higher rate.
Deer ticks are very difficult to spot as they are the size of a poppy seed, but you can protect yourself from these parasitic pests by wearing light colored long sleeve clothing, pants tucking them into your socks and bug repellant containing N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET).
Check yourself and your kids daily, if you find a tick remove it with tweezers, don't burn it or use chemicals to try to remove it from your body. Ensure you remove the entire tick as in some cases the head of the parasite may remain.
If you experience flu like symptoms after removing a deer tick seek medical attention to receive antibiotics to combat the disease. The Centers for Disease Control has helpful tips to control your potential exposure to deer ticks, for more information, visit their Web site at www.cdc.gov/ncidod/Diseases/submenus/sub_lyme.htm.