Lyme Disease Awareness Month is in Full Swing

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?

1. A disease that can affect the heart
2. A topical rash that appears on the body
3. A disease that can affect the body’s neurological functions
4. A flu-like virus that can cause fatigue, chills, fever, headache, muscle and join aches as well as swollen lymph nodes.
5. All of the above

2)      How is Lyme disease contracted?

1. By drinking contaminated water
2. Via improperly cooked food
3. Through spiders carrying the disease
4. Via the bite of an infected tick
5. Via the saliva of an infected dog

3)      In what parts of the country is Lyme disease most prevalent?

1. East Coast
2. Midwest
3. Northeast
4. South
5. Southeast
6. Southwest
7. West Coast

4)      Approximately how many Americans have been diagnosed with Lyme disease since the CDC because tracking cases in 2002?

1. 100,000
2. 275,000
3. 535,000
4. 746,000

5)      How can homeowners reduce exposure to Lyme disease?

1. Utilize plants and shrubs that don’t attract deer
2. Keep tall grasses away from the home entrance and edges of the lawn
3. Create a barrier between wooded areas and entertainment/play areas
4. Keep the yard clean and free of debris
5. Perform a daily tick check
6. Treat with a barrier treatment
7. All of the above

6)      Which of the following notable Americans has been treated for Lyme disease?

1. George W. Bush
2. Lady Gaga
3. Tiger Woods
4. Hilary Clinton
5. Rosie O’Donnell

7)      In what season is one more likely to contract Lyme disease?

1. Spring
2. Summer
3. Winter
4. Fall
5. 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