Deer ticks, or blacklegged ticks, are known as the primary vector, or carrier, of Lyme disease. Lyme disease is a debilitating illness in humans and can also be found in dogs and cats. Symptoms of Lyme disease may not appear until 6 weeks after a bite occurs. Tick–borne diseases are second only in number to the mosquito-borne diseases.
Deer ticks will crawl on a host for up to 4 hours before feeding. They attach themselves to humans at the base of the scalp. Deer tick bites are normally painless and often go undetected. Even after the deer tick has taken a meal and jumped to the ground, the site where the bite occurred may not be painful.
Decrease your exposure to deer ticks during the season they are most active, which usually lasts from April to September. If you are out in the woods, keep yourself protected with a hat. Wear light-colored clothing, which makes it easier to spot ticks if they crawl on you.
If bitten by a tick you suspect may be a carrier of Lyme disease, seek medical attention. Don't panic, though. Not all deer ticks are carriers of Lyme disease, and ticks can only transmit the disease after feeding for 45 minutes. A circular rash around the bite area often identifies a deer tick bite. Deer ticks, like most ticks, seek the creases in your skin to attach themselves to. Places like your armpits or the backs of your knees are prime targets.
Be sure and inform your physician that you were in the woods and were bitten by a tick. Preserve the tick, if possible, in rubbing alcohol. Identifying the vector is the easiest way to be sure that symptoms can be attributed to the correct disease and for proper treatment to be administered.