May is national Lyme Disease Awareness Month. The Lyme community uses the opportunity to educate friends, relatives, teachers, co-workers, healthcare workers, and their local and state representatives.

Experts say this year could be one of the worst years on record for the ticks that carry Lyme and other diseases. Currently, Lyme disease is the number one vector-borne illness in the United States.

According to the CDC, millions of Americans seek medical care for tick bites each year in the United States. Even so, many healthcare professionals do not know how to properly diagnose or treat tick-borne illnesses.

It’s time to let your friends and family know—whether they live in the country or the city— the risks of Lyme disease exist as soon as you step outside. (And, if you’re not careful, ticks can gain entry to your house by hitchhiking on your pets.)

The following are several ideas to help you raise awareness for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases in your community. We encourage you to get out and start spreading awareness.

Suggestions for Spreading Lyme disease Awareness

• Join our Northern California Lyme Walk and Health Fair near San Francisco on May 18.
• Help us fundraise by creating your own Facebook fundraiser.
• Create a Lyme awareness Proclamation
• Submit your personal Lyme story to the local news paper or TV station
• Have a Lyme Awareness Billboard made
• Organize a 1K walk/ 5K Lyme walk with your local Lyme group
• Print our “Be Tick Aware” posters and display them in your community
• Share our Lyme disease symptom checklist on your social media
• Share our resource list with anyone suffering from Lyme disease
• Education Event (kids’ school, your work, sports team, YMCA, Park & Rec Dept)

No act is too small. If you educate just one person you have done something.

For more information about how to prevent, diagnose and treat Lyme disease, visit the Lyme Basics tab on our website