The main vector or carrier of Lyme disease in North America is Ixodes scapularis, the black-legged tick, also known as the deer tick, and in some parts of the US as the bear tick.

Where Do Deer Ticks Live?

Deer ticks thrive in cool Northern latitudes, which would explain why the Northeastern US is ‘Lyme central’, with the majority of cases being reports in 14 states, from Maine south to Virginia, and out west to Minnesota.

They like cool wooded areas and tall grass. They are resistant to cold, and live about 2 years, so they can infect anyone at any time, even in winter, though the largest number of cases are reported in spring and summer every year. Continue reading →

Many people have heard that Lyme disease is carried by ticks, so they assume that every tick is a carrier of Lyme disease. However, this is not the case. Firstly, there are only certain species of ticks that carry Lyme disease. Secondly, the tick must be infected with the bacteria which causes Lyme disease. In the US, the most common strain of bacteria is Borrelia burgdorferi.

The most common carrier of Lyme disease is the black legged tick, commonly referred to as the deer tick. It is responsible for most of the cases of Lyme disease which occur in the northeastern United States.

Lyme disease is named after the town of Lyme in Connecticut, which can be considered ground zero for the disease, which was discovered in the 1970s and has been increasing. About 300,000 new cases are reported each year, and at least 3 million people have what is termed chronic Lyme disease, long-term health issues related to the infection, even though in some cases they received the standard antibiotics to treat it. Continue reading →