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Lyme disease (LD) is an infection caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, named after its discoverer, Willy Burgdorfer, PhD. A spirochete is a spiral shaped bacterium. Other diseases caused by spirochetes include relapsing fever and syphilis. LD is most commonly transmitted by a tick bite (usually painless). The tick vectors include Ixodes scapularis (Deer Tick), Ixodes dammini (Deer tick), Amblyomme americanum (Lone Star Tick) and Ixodes pacificus. Ixodes dammini was thought to be the only species responsible for transmission until it was shown to be the same as Ixodes scapularis in 1993. The Deer and Lone Star ticks can be found in New Jersey. The ticks prefer to live in wooded areas, low growing grassland, seashores and yards. Depending on the location, anywhere from less than 1% to more than 90% of the ticks are infected with spirochetes. April through October is considered the "tick season" even though Lyme disease is a year round problem. Ticks are very active in the spring and early summer. Cases of Lyme disease have been reported in virtually every state, although the Northeastern, Great Lakes, and Pacific Northwest areas are particularly endemic. <snip> ... The Lyme Disease Network of NJ, Inc. 43 Winton Road East Brunswick, NJ 08816 http://www.lymenet.org/ Judith Richards [log in to unmask]