The Importance of Lyme Disease Awareness
Posted by Mosquito SquadMay 1, 2013
May not only brings spring flowers, but also Lyme Disease Awareness Month, a month that is near and dear to Dread Skeeter and the rest of the Mosquito Squad team.
Lyme disease is an illness that affects a large portion of the east coast. Take the quiz below to test your knowledge of Lyme disease (the answers are the bottom of the post).
1) What is Lyme disease?
- A disease that can affect the heart
- A topical rash that appears on the body
- A disease that can affect the body’s neurological functions
- A flu-like virus that can cause fatigue, chills, fever, headache, muscle and join aches as well as swollen lymph nodes.
- All of the above
2) How is Lyme disease contracted?
- By drinking contaminated water
- Via improperly cooked food
- Through spiders carrying the disease
- Via the bite of an infected tick
- Via the saliva of an infected dog
3) In what parts of the country is Lyme disease most prevalent?
- East Coast
- Midwest
- Northeast
- South
- Southeast
- Southwest
- West Coast
4) Approximately how many Americans have been diagnosed with Lyme disease since the CDC because tracking cases in 2002?
- 100,000
- 275,000
- 535,000
- 746,000
5) How can homeowners reduce exposure to Lyme disease?
- Utilize plants and shrubs that don’t attract deer
- Keep tall grasses away from the home entrance and edges of the lawn
- Create a barrier between wooded areas and entertainment/play areas
- Keep the yard clean and free of debris
- Perform a daily tick check
- Treat with a barrier treatment
- All of the above
6) Which of the following notable Americans has been treated for Lyme disease?
- George W. Bush
- Lady Gaga
- Tiger Woods
- Hilary Clinton
- Rosie O’Donnell
7) In what season is one more likely to contract Lyme disease?
- Spring
- Summer
- Winter
- Fall
- all
Answers:
- 1-5, all of the above
- 2- 4, via the bite of an infected tick
- 3 – 2 & 3 Midwest and Northeast
- 4 – 2, more than 275,000 Americans have been diagnosed with the disease since 2002
- 5 – 7, all of the above
- 6 – 1, George W. Bush (treated in 2006)
- 7 – 1 & 2, infected ticks can bite at any time, but late spring and early summer is considered the most likely time to contract the disease