California State Senator Lois Wolk, sponsor of the measure, calls Lyme disease "often misunderstood.” She says "It can cause serious, persistent health problems if not caught early and treated appropriately. The best way to protect yourself and your family is to learn how to avoid ticks altogether. But, in the event of a bite, it’s equally important to know how to remove the tick properly and when you should consult a doctor.”

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Press release from California Lyme Disease Association

(feel free to forward to your local newspapers)

May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month

Tiny ticks can cause a world of hurt. Learn how to protect yourself and your family when out of doors.

A resolution sponsored by State Senator Lois Wolk (D-Davis) recognizes May 2010 as Lyme Disease Awareness Month. As summer approaches, it’s an important reminder to protect yourself and your family from tick-borne diseases.

“Lyme disease is often misunderstood,” said Sen. Wolk. “It can cause serious, persistent health problems if not caught early and treated appropriately. The best way to protect yourself and your family is to learn how to avoid ticks altogether. But, in the event of a bite, it’s equally important to know how to remove the tick properly and when you should consult a doctor.”

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted by tick bite. Early signs of infection may include a rash and flu-like symptoms, such as fever, muscle aches, headaches, and fatigue. If caught soon enough, it can usually be cured.

Without timely treatment, however, Lyme disease can invade multiple organs of the body, resulting in neurological disorders, crippling muscle and joint pain, disabling fatigure, psychological disorders, and other serious symptoms. At that stage, it becomes much more difficult to treat.

According to the California Lyme Disease Association (CALDA), people should make a point of checking themselves and their children for ticks after spending time outdoors. 

“Nymphal ticks, the immature ones, can be hard to spot because they are as small as poppy seeds," says CALDA president Phyllis Mervine. "They are often in leaf litter or at the base of trees.”

Adult ticks are often found on the tips of grasses and shrubs. Both immature and adult ticks can transmit the illness.

Lyme-carrying ticks can be found throughout California. To learn the proper way to remove a tick and other ways to protect yourself from Lyme disease, go to www.lymedisease.org.

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