Lyme disease : article in Daily Mirror UK

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What is Lyme disease? How ticks spread the disease, and the symptoms to watch out for
Natasha Holt
Lyme disease is an infectious illness spread by the bite of ticks, with around 3,000 new cases in the UK every year.

But the symptoms of the disease can often be mistaken for other conditions, and could be misdiagnosed.

Most tick bites are harmless, but it is important to know how to deal with the little bugs if you do find one on your skin.

And if you think you may have caught Lyme disease, you should get in touch with your GP.

April to October is the most active time for ticks, so here’s all the information you need to make you tick-smart…

What is Lyme disease?
Disease is spread by ticks (Image: Moment RF)
Lyme disease is caused by the Borrelia bacteria and is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks.

There are about 3,000 new cases in the UK each year.

However, this is thought to be a big underestimation as the condition isn’t widely recognised by health professionals and many sufferers don’t recall being bitten so are often misdiagnosed.

Is it serious?
Yes. If left untreated the disease can lead to meningitis, heart failure, paralysis, chronic fatigue syndrome and memory problems.

It can also affect the nervous system. At worst Lyme disease can be fatal."

https://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/health/what-lyme-disease-how-ticks-12338333