Prevention of Lyme Disease

How Can Lyme Disease Be Prevented?

Humans do not develop an immunity to (Lyme Disease) LD and reinfection is possible. In 1998, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved a new vaccine against Lyme disease called LYMErix. The vaccine was not 100 percent effective, however, and the FDA still recommended using other preventive measures. In 2002, the manufacturer of LYMErix announced that the vaccine would no longer be available commercially.

There are some general guidelines for preventing LD.

Dress appropriately by wearing:

• Light-colored clothing
• Long-sleeved shirts
• Socks and closed-toe shoes
• Long pants with legs tucked into socks

Frequently check for ticks on:

• All parts of the body that bend: behind the knees, between fingers and toes, and underarms.
• Other areas where ticks are commonly found: belly button, in and behind the ears, neck, hairline, and top of the head.
• Areas of pressure points, including:
  • Where underwear elastic touches the skin
  • Where bands from pants or skirts touch the skin
  • Anywhere else where clothing presses on the skin
• Visually check all other areas of the body, and run fingers gently over skin.

Also:

• Shower after all outdoor activities are over for the day.
• When a tick is found, remove it carefully and do not squeeze the body. Remember that any method of removal could cause transmission of the bacteria.
• Ticks can be tested for spirochetes, so place the removed tick in a glass, plastic vial, or plastic storage bag with a moistened cotton swab.
• Consider using repellents:
  
  • Products that contain DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) are tick repellents, but do not kill the tick and are not 100 percent effective in discouraging a tick from feeding on you.
  • Products that contain permethrin are known to kill ticks, however, they should not be sprayed on the skin but on clothing.
• Check pets and children for ticks.