Lyme disease

Lyme disease is an illness caused by tick bites. Symptoms include a distinctive rash, flu-like symptoms and aching joints. The rash begins as a small, red bump (A) that appears after a tick bite. Over the next few days, the redness gets bigger. It may feel warm when you touch it. It might look like a bull's-eye (B). Along with the rash, you may have fever, tiredness and a headache.

If you think that a tick bit you and you have symptoms of Lyme disease, contact your health care professional right away. Treatment works best when it's started early. People diagnosed with Lyme disease in its early stages who are treated with antibiotics usually recover quickly, without developing other health problems. If it's not treated, Lyme disease can cause serious health conditions that affect the joints and nervous system. That can happen even if the early symptoms of Lyme disease go away on their own.