Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 65%
Practice
The community nurse is preparing a presentation on Lyme disease for community members. What should the nurse explain about the spread of the organism for this disease?
Correct answer
C
Rationale
Lyme disease is primarily spread through the bite of an infected black-legged tick, also known as a deer tick. The tick must be infected with the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi in order to transmit the disease. Contrary to popular belief, the tick doesn't transmit the infection immediately upon biting. Borrelia burgdorferi is typically transmitted after the tick has been attached to the host for at least 24 hours. This gives individuals a window of time to remove attached ticks before transmission occurs. Therefore, the most accurate statement regarding the spread of the organism for Lyme disease is through an infected tick that has been embedded for more than 24 hours.