How is Lyme Transmitted
- It is spread primarily through the bite of a deer tick; but not limited to. Some researchers believe that other ticks and some biting insects such as mosquitoes, fleas, deer flies and lice can be secondary vectors
- Consuming contaminated, unpasteurized milk or uncooked or raw meat can lead to Brucella infection, a gram-negative, intracellular bacterium. Additionally, Brucella bacteria have been found in ticks, making tick bites another potential route of transmission.
- Babies may be born infected if the mother is infected. Some research has shown it can be transmitted through breast milk.
- A contaminated blood transfusion may transmit the disease to the recipient
- Some medical researchers also believe that Lyme or other tic-borne diseases may be sexually transmitted
- The bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi is primarily transmitted when an infected tick attaches to a person's skin and feeds on their blood for an extended period, typically 24-48 hours or longer. While the exact mechanisms that activate Lyme disease after a period of dormancy remain unclear, several factors may contribute to reactivating the infection and triggering symptoms years later.
