10 Causes, Risks, and Complications of Lyme Disease

6. How People Contract Lyme Disease

In the United States, Lyme disease is caused by a specific bacterium that is carried primarily by deer ticks. The ticks are brown and often no bigger than a poppy seed, making them extremely difficult to detect. An infected deer tick must bite a person to transmit the bacterium that leads to Lyme disease. The bacterium enters the host's skin through the bite. Generally, a deer tick must be attached for 36 to 48 hours to transmit the virus. Unfortunately, deer ticks are small, and their bite is often painless, so people may not realize they are there during this period.

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