Today I am talking about how people get Lyme disease.

Lyme Disease is caused by a bacterial infection, which is traditionally known to be transmitted by certain types of ticks (tiny little bugs that bite you).

However, Lyme has been reported in areas where these ticks do not live, suggesting that any blood-sucking insects (mosquitoes!) can transmit the bacteria 💚

Lyme is NOT contagious, meaning that you can not catch it from another person like a cold (through airborne) or mono (through saliva).

If family members have Lyme, it is most likely that they were both bitten by infected ticks, and did not infect each other. The only exception to this is the possibility of gestational Lyme, which is when Lyme is transmitted through the womb and the baby is born with Lyme disease.

Some researchers also suggest Lyme can be sexually transmitted, however, there is currently no solid evidence of this. There are also suggestions that you can catch lyme through donated blood, however, there has been no definitive proof of this happening. However, there have been some people who have caught lyme co-infections through donated blood, I’ll talk more about these co-infections later.

So, although you can’t catch lyme disease from someone coughing on you, if you have ever gone outside or been exposed to the outdoors, then it is very possible you have been exposed to the ticks and other insects that carry the disease. You are at risk for lyme disease. more on this tomorrow!

So, how do you know if you have Lyme?

That is another fact for another day. So, if you want to find out, please follow, subscribe, turn on post notifications, whatever, to learn more about Lyme disease this Lyme disease awareness month!

And please share in the comments about how you think you got lyme disease!