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May 15, 2023
 Lyme disease, West Nile Virus, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsioses are the three most reported vector-borne diseases (VBDs) in Illinois. Lyme disease is the most reported in Lake County. In 2022, there were a total of 263 cases of human Lyme Disease in Illinois,1 of which 23 were in Lake County.
The best ways to combat VBDs are to:
- Counsel patients on ways to reduce the risk of being bitten
- Educate patients on how to recognize symptoms
- Provide early treatment
The black-legged tick, or deer tick (Ixodes scapularis), is the species of tick that transmits Lyme disease and other tick-borne parasites that cause tick-borne diseases (TBDs). The tick must attach for greater than 24 hours to infect its host. Rapid removal of ticks is important to prevent TBDs.2 Symptoms can develop in 3 to 32 days after exposure. Early symptoms include flu-like symptoms of fever, fatigue, chills, myalgia, and arthralgia, and headache. In addition, an annular rash called erythema migrans (EM), or bulls-eye rash, may develop. The rash can be followed by chest pain with arrhythmias (carditis), neurological symptoms of headache (meningitis or encephalitis), facial palsy, or radiculopathies, and in late stages, arthritis and articular effusion of the large joints.3,4
Early diagnostics are important with blood testing in accordance with CDC recommendations, which consists of 2-tier testing.5,6 Testing should be done via commercial labs. Physicians should consider testing for Heartland, Bourbon and Powassan viruses at CDC if patients who have been treated for tick-borne illness show no clinical response. If interested in testing of tick-borne pathogens at CDC, contact the Lake County Health Department, Communicable Disease Program, (847) 377-8130, option #1.
Lyme disease and other TBDs are treated with antibiotics, rest, and analgesics for symptom relief.7
Medical education is key to keeping up with the latest in testing, diagnosis and treatments in VBDs. Check out this upcoming webinar, clinician training course, and podcast:
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Vector-Borne Diseases: Ehrlichiosis and Anaplasmosis, two closely related tickborne rickettsial diseases. Date and time: Wednesday, May 17, 2023, 1:00 PM | (UTC-05:00) Central Time (US & Canada). It will only be a live presentation. Please ensure when registering that your name and email are correctly spelled. To receive continued education credit, you must complete a training survey, which will automatically open when the host closes the webinar. Registration link.
- Through a partnership between CDC and Medscape, there is a new West Nile virus clinician training course. Clinicians can register for Diagnosis and Management of West Nile Virus Infection: A Case-Based Approach for FREE through Medscape’s website and receive CME credits for completing the course.
- Mayo clinic, Lyme Disease podcast
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- Illinois Department of Public Health, Siren, VBD Season Kick-off Health Alert, May 1, 2023.
- CDC, Tick Removal
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Illinois Department of Public Health, Lyme Disease
- CDC, Signs and Symptoms
- Illinois Department of Public Health, Provider page, testing
- CDC testing:
- CDC, Treatment of Lyme disease
- Updated Tickborne Diseases of the United States: A Reference Manual for Healthcare Provider, Order hard copies for your office.
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Tools for the clinic, including short videos and posters on:
- Lyme disease prophylaxis after tick bite
- Lyme disease serologic testing and pretest probability
- Evaluation of pediatric knee monoarthritis in areas where Lyme disease occurs
- Improved Tick Bite Data Tracker allowing healthcare providers, public health practitioners, and the public access to timely data that can drive tick bite prevention efforts.
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Tick Bite Bot: a tool to assist people in removing attached ticks and seeking health care, if appropriate, after a tick bite.
- Information for Clinicians on Lyme Disease
- Printable Cards
- Illinois Tick Surveillance Map
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Illinois data on Lyme and RMSF exposure area (bottom of the page)
- Common Ticks and Tick Habitat information
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Lake County Health Department Fight the Bite Now website. Useful for residents and providers
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