Symptoms:

Not everyone infected with the bacteria gets ill. If a person does become ill, the first symptoms resemble the flu and include:

• Chills
• Fever
• Headache
• Lethargy
• Muscle pain

There may be a "bulls-eye" rash, a flat or slightly raised red spot at the site of the tick bite often with a clear area in the center. It can be larger than 1 - 3 inches wide.

Symptoms in people with the later stages of the disease include:

• Body-wide itching
• Joint inflammation
• Stiff neck
• Unusual or strange behavior

Note: Deer ticks can be so small that they are almost impossible to see. Therefore, many people with Lyme disease never even saw a tick.

Signs and tests:

A blood test can be done to check for antibodies to the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. The most common one used is the ELISA for Lyme disease test. A western blot test is done to confirm ELISA results.

A physical exam may show joint, heart, or brain problems in people with advanced Lyme disease.