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Provider Resources for Lyme Disease

Maryland is home to some of the highest Lyme Disease prevalence rates in the country, and Carroll County has the second highest prevalence rate among counties in the state.

Learn more with these provider resources for Lyme Disease:

Lyme Disease: Information for Healthcare Providers – North Carolina Department of Public Health

Tickborne Diseases of the United States – A Reference Manual for Healthcare Providers – CDC

Diagnosis, Treatment, and Testing – CDC 

Lyme Disease Persistence – slides from CDC webinar

Finding a Physician – American Lyme Disease Foundation – care from a patient’s perspective

Carroll County Health Department pages on Lyme and tick control contain many links and resources for the general public:

Lyme Disease webpage  

Fight the Bite tick and mosquito bite prevention information

 

Best Practices for Diagnosis and Treatment of Lyme Disease

Diagnose properly and early by using the two-tiered testing described below:

 

Listen to patient history, examine the patient, and confirm any visual symptoms (i.e. rash) by taking a photo. Take note of any other symptoms as well as bite history, if known.  

          

 

Treat the patient with the recommended medications and dosages.

Tick Identification

If the patient indicates that they were aware of a bite, ask if they kept the tick. Examine the patient for any visible ticks that may still be present. The University of Maryland provides a tick identification service: https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/deer-black-legged-and-wood-ticks

 

Chronic Lyme Disease

The CDC estimates that approximately 10-20% of treated patients will still experience symptoms. This condition is known as Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS) or Chronic Lyme and can lead to long term health issues. For more information: Post-Lyme Disease Treatment – CDC