Other symptoms include headaches, fever and fatigue. Once infected, humans sometimes develop circular rashes on their body. Blacklegged ticks (commonly known as deer ticks) are the culprits that spread this disease in the U.S. Since ticks only feed a few times in their lifespan, it also means that a tick must have fed on an infected mouse in an early stage of its life before biting the human. The natural reservoir for these bacteria are small mammals like the white-footed mouse.įor a human to become infected, an infected tick has to bite them. mayonii, on rare occasions, is responsible for infections in the Midwest. Most cases in North America are caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, while B. In humans, Lyme disease is caused by several related corkscrew-shaped bacteria called spirochetes. What Is Lyme Disease and How Do You Get It?
