This web site is currently being upgraded for an improved user experience. Several web pages will continue to retain the former user interface during this transition period.

Lyme Disease and Ticks

Printer Friendly View

Lyme Disease in San Mateo County The incidence of Lyme Disease in San Mateo County is very low. There were 24 reported cases from 1991 to 1999, ranging from 1 to 4 cases each year. Compare this number to 9,000+ to 16,000+ cases nationwide reported each year during the same time period! Residents of San Mateo County are lucky because the microorganism that causes Lyme Disease (Borrelia burgdorferi) is not common in the ticks of this region. Young ticks, or nymphs, are more likely than adults to be infected; the nymphs often clear the infection by the time they reach adulthood. San Mateo County Mosquito Abatement is currently sampling ticks throughout the county to find out what percent are infected. Expectations are that it will be anywhere from 1 to 5 percent of all ticks. Even if you are bitten by an infected tick, it's quite difficult to get Lyme Disease. The tick must be feeding on you for 24 to 48 hours in order to effectively transfer the microorganism from its stomach to your body. If you find a tick attached to you or your pet, don't panic. Carefully remove and save the tick! For $25 the County Public Health Lab will test your tick to see if it's a Lyme Disease Carrier. Removing and Storing Your Tick Grasp the tick with tweezers or tissue as close to the skin as possible. Gently pull the tick straight upward from the skin- no twisting or unscrewing. Do not attempt removal by using nail polish remover, kerosene, or Vaseline. Another option for tick removal is to loop some sewing thread around the tick and as close to the skin as possible (2-3 loops is enough). Basically you will be looping the thread around the tick's mouthpart, which is embedded in the skin. Once you have it tightly wound around the tick gently pull upward. You will have lassoed the tick around its mouth and it'll be forced to come out! This method is a good way of insuring you don't pop the tick - a very bad thing, considering that if it is infected, you come into contact with infected fluids. The tick must be kept moist. Place the tick in a small container with 1 or 2 drops of water or saline solution. A small piece of damp cotton or tissue inside the container is also acceptable. Do not use other liquids such as alcohol or formaldehyde solutions. In fact, if you use alcohol, your tick may absorb it and explode, making it impossible to test. Tick Testing Bring the tick to the County Public Health Lab at 225 West 37th Ave, Room 113 during the hours of 8am to noon and 1 to 5pm, Monday thru Friday. For more information call (650) 573-2500. Your tick must first be identified to determine if it is the Western Black-legged Tick, the species that transmits Lyme Disease. If so, the next step will be to test for the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi, the micro-organism that causes Lyme Disease, in the tick's stomach. The tick must be intact in order for this test to be performed. Lyme Disease Tickborne Diseases