People traveling to areas affected by Lyme disease should take precautions against tick bites, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said on Thursday, after it confirmed this year’s first imported case of the zoonotic disease.
A 53-year-old Swedish man early this month developed fatigue and knee pains before seeking medical attention on Aug. 17, the agency said.
Tests revealed that the man had contracted Lyme disease, possibly during a trip to Sweden from last month to this month, the agency said, adding that the man has since recovered.
Nations with higher incidences of Lyme disease are Slovenia, Lithuania, Estonia and the Czech Republic, agency data showed.
In Sweden, Lyme disease is frequently reported along the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia coasts.
People traveling to affected areas should wear protective clothing, such as long-sleeve shirts; tuck their pants into their socks; apply insect repellent; and change clothes and take a shower immediately after walking in areas with tall grass and thick brush to reduce the risk of infection, the agency said.
Eleven cases of Lyme disease have been confirmed in Taiwan since 2007 and all of them were imported, the agency said, adding that no deaths associated with Lyme disease have been reported.
Lyme disease can be transmitted by infected ticks, but it is not communicable between humans, the agency said.
The incubation period of the disease varies between three and 32 days, and early symptoms are similar to those of cold, such as headaches, fever, swollen lymph nodes, a sore throat and stiffness in the neck, it said.
If left untreated, the disease can lead to complications in the cardiovascular and nervous systems, the agency said.
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