Controlling Spread of Lyme Disease

Table of Contents

A. Isolation and Quarantine Requirements

None.

B. Protection of Contacts of a Case

None.

C. Preventive Measures

Generally, prophylactic antibiotic therapy is not indicated because the risk of infection with B. burgdorferi after a tick bite is relatively low, even in endemic areas.

Offer the following advice to the public to reduce risk for Lyme disease.

Environmental Measures

Prevention of Lyme disease involves keeping wildlife (especially deer and rodents) out of your backyard and making your yard less attractive to ticks.

  • Remove leaf litter and brush from around your home.
  • Prune low-lying bushes to let in more sunlight.
  • Mow lawns regularly.
  • Make sure any plants near your home are not varieties that attract deer.
  • Keep woodpiles in sunny areas off the ground.
  • Clean up the ground around bird feeders.
  • If you are going to use insecticides around your home, always follow the label instructions and never apply these chemicals near streams or other bodies of water.

Preventive Measures/Education

The best preventive measure is to avoid tick-infested areas. If in areas where contact with ticks may occur, individuals should be advised of the following:

  • Wear long-sleeved shirts and long, light-colored pants tucked into socks or boots.
  • Stay on trails when walking or hiking and avoid high grass.
  • Use insect repellants properly. Repellants that contain DEET (diethyltoluamide) should be used in concentrations no higher than 15% for children and 30% for adults. Remember, repellants are not recommended to be used on infants. Permethrin is a repellant that can only be applied to clothing, not exposed skin.
  • After each day spent in tick-infested areas, check yourself, your children, and your pets for ticks. Areas ticks prefer most include the back of the knee, armpit, scalp, groin, and back of the neck.
  • Promptly remove any attached tick using fine-point tweezers. The tick should not be squeezed or twisted, but grasped close to the skin and pulled straight out with steady pressure. Once removed, the tick should be drowned in rubbing alcohol or flushed down the toilet.

Iowa Dept. of Public Health, Reviewed 7/15