By Penn Highlands Healthcare
(July 21, 2025, DuBois, Pennsylvania) – During the summer and fall months, people enjoy outdoor activities. Whether playing sports, camping, gardening or hiking, the risk exists for tick bites.
“Ticks thrive in woody and grassy areas,” said Cody Wakefield, CRNP, a certified registered nurse practitioner with Penn Highlands Healthcare. “Any activity where you are around plants and vegetation – even walking a dog – increases your possibility of coming in contact with ticks.”
Why should ticks be avoided?
Blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks, carry the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. Lyme disease bacteria is spread to humans through the bite of infected deer ticks. These ticks are prevalent throughout Pennsylvania and in other parts of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic region.
What are the symptoms of Lyme disease?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from three to 30 days following a tick bite, the following signs or symptoms may appear:
- A circular, expanding bull’s-eye or target lesion may begin at the site of the bite in approximately 70% to 80% of infected people. The rash will gradually expand. It is important to note that the bull’s-eye rash will not appear in everyone who has been bitten by a blacklegged tick.
- Fever
- Chills
- Headache
- Muscle and joint aches
- Swollen lymph nodes
Days or months after the bite the symptoms below may be present:
- Severe headache and neck stiffness
- Rashes in other parts of the body
- Facial palsy (drooping of facial muscles)
- Pain in the muscles, joints and bones
- Irregular heartbeat
- Dizziness and shortness of breath
- Shooting pains or numbness in the hands and feet
How is Lyme disease diagnosed?
If a person suspects they may have been bitten by a deer tick and have symptoms of Lyme disease, they should seek medical attention. A provider will assess whether the symptoms are clinically consistent with Lyme disease and consider other illnesses that may cause similar symptoms. Lab testing, consisting of a two-step blood testing process typically leads to a definitive diagnosis.
What is the treatment?
Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated successfully with antibiotics. Early diagnosis and antibiotic treatment can help prevent more serious complications.
If you suspect you have been bitten by a deer tick, seek medical attention as soon as possible.
If you have a tick or insect bite, minor illness or injury that is non-life threatening but requires medical attention, contact your family medicine physician. If you do not have a physician, Penn Highlands Healthcare can help you find one near you, visit www.phhealthcare.org/findadoc.
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Penn Highlands Healthcare was officially formed in 2011 and is comprised of nine hospitals. Penn Highlands Brookville, Penn Highlands Clearfield, Penn Highlands Connellsville, Penn Highlands DuBois, Penn Highlands Elk, Penn Highlands Huntingdon, Penn Highlands Mon Valley, Penn Highlands Tyrone have served area communities for the past 100+ years. Penn Highlands State College is a new state-of-the-art hospital that opened in 2024. The health system’s business continuum also includes a home care agency, long-term care facilities and residential senior living communities, as well as durable medical equipment companies and retail pharmacies.
Penn Highlands Healthcare has evolved into an organization with approximately 6,200 employees in 150+ locations throughout 26 counties in Pennsylvania that include community medical buildings, outpatient facilities, surgery centers and physician practices. The facilities have a total of 1,396 inpatient, skilled nursing and personal care beds. The system, which has 849 physicians and 427 advanced practice providers on staff, offers a wide range of care and treatments with specialty units for cancer, cardiovascular/thoracic, neurosurgery, pulmonology, neonatal and high-risk pregnancy patients. Being focused on what is important – patients and families – makes Penn Highlands Healthcare a great choice for healthcare in the region.
