Ticks are widespread at this time. Deer ticks are active in May through July. It is these ticks that transmit Lyme Disease. We recommend that you check your child daily if they are outside. Most ticks can be found at the edge of properties in wooded areas. The overall risk of Lyme Disease from a TICK is less than 2%. The risk is low unless an engorged tick is attached for for at least 72 hours. For this reason, the best approach is prevention (use a repellant like Bug Out if outside for less than 4 hours and 3M Ultrathon if outside for more than 4 hours). In addition, check you child daily for TICKS and remove them carefully. We recommend using a TICK remover (we sell them) or tweezers. Gently pull up enough to tent the skin and wait for the TICK to detach. As recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and local Pediatric Infectious Disease experts, we do not recommend “preventive antibiotics” for children under 12. In some cases, we consider antibiotics for those with an engorged deer tick, especially if attached for more than 72 hours. The median incubation period of Lyme is 11 days. During the early stages, the diagnosis is best made by recognizing the characteristic rash (which is a red rash at the site of the bite). It has a red ring with central clearing, is painless and not itchy. There is a blood test available, but it is non specific. It is not helpful for non specific symptoms like fatigue and muscle or joint aches. Almost all positive results in those patients are false positive results. Lastly, we do not send ticks for identification since it has no bearing on the risk or outcome of Lyme Disease. Other preventive measures include: 1) wear light colored clothing and tuck pants into socks and shirts into pants 2) after removing a tick, disinfect the bite with soap, rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide 3)monitor for the rash described above along with flu like symptoms in the next 30 days.