According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 300,000 cases of Lyme disease occur annually. Lyme disease, which is a bacterial infection spread by the bite of tick, accounts for almost 75% of all reported cases of all vector-borne disease in the United States. The expanded geographic distribution and growing prevalence of ticks as well as greater levels of travel, have increased patient exposure to ticks and Lyme disease. Ticks that carry Lyme disease are now present in half of all counties in the United States and cases have been reported in nearly every state. The number of cases have tripled over the past two decades.

Early diagnosis and treatment are essential to restore patients to health and to prevent progression of the disease to late or chronic Lyme disease, which is much harder to treat. Lyme disease is a clinical diagnosis—based on the patient’s medical history, symptoms and exposure to ticks. This symptom checklist was developed to assist patients and physicians in the diagnosis of Lyme disease.

The Symptoms Checklist is NOT a self-diagnosis tool. A proper diagnosis can only be made by a physician. Share your checklist responses with your physician to determine if you or your child have Lyme disease.