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Lyme Disease

Info For Healthcare Providers

• Alerts & Hot Topics
• Disease Manuals & Guides
• Support Services
• DHHS Forms
• Tools & Websites

Alerts & Hot Topics

• NC DHHS Memo: NC Veterinary Tick Identification Program - Updated: April 3, 2024 (PDF, 179 KB)
• NC DHHS Memo: Annual Update on Diagnosis and Surveillance for Tickborne disease - April 10, 2019 (PDF, 229 KB)

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Manuals & Guides

Diagnosis, Treatment and Testing

• CDC: Lyme Disease Treatment
• CDC: Two-step Laboratory Testing Process - Describes the steps to properly test for Lyme disease; includes decision tree.
• CDC: Tests that are NOT recommended by CDC for Lyme disease - Includes CD₅₇, urine antigen testing, etc.
• CDC: Understanding Test Results for Infectious Diseases

Laboratory Guidance

• Mayo Clinic: Serologic Diagnosis of Lyme Disease

Case Definition and Reporting

• CDC: Lyme Disease Surveillance Case Definition (revised Jan 2017)
• NC DHHS: N.C. Communicable Disease Manual - Disease notes and investigation steps for Public Health management of reportable diseases and conditions, including Lyme disease.

Prevention and Patient Education:

• From NC DHHS:
  • Do you feel ILL after exposure to TICKS or tick habitats? Color poster - 11"x17" (PDF, 2.21 MB) and 8½"x11" (PDF, 1 MB)
  • Safe Use of DEET and Other Insect Repellents
• American Academy of Pediatrics - Healthy Children: Safety & Prevention, Insect Repellents

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Services

• Find Your Local Health Department - First line of contact for communicable disease control, surveillance and response in our communities.
• State Laboratory of Public Health - Virology and serology services for babesiosis, Lyme disease, rickettsia, and more.
• N.C. Communicable Disease Branch - Contact us to speak with our Medical Consultation Unit or the Epidemiologist on call.

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DHHS Forms

• Form 2124 (PDF) - Physicians and healthcare providers may use this form when notifying the local health department of cases or suspected cases of reportable diseases. Learn more about communicable disease reporting.
• Form 3445 (PDF) – Use this form to order arboviral and rickettsial serology from the State Laboratory of Public Health
• NC Tick Identification Submission Form - Human
• NC Tick Identification Submission Form - Large Animal
• NC Tick Identification Submission Form - Animal Shelters
• NC Tick Identification Submission Form - Flagging and Dragging

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Tools & Websites

• CDC Expert Commentary Videos on Medscape (free Medscape login required):
  • Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness – When a Bull's-Eye Rash Isn't Lyme Disease March 2013, Video #780883.
  • PCR for Diagnosis of Lyme Disease: Is It Useful? June 2012, Video #764501.
  • Testing for Lyme Disease: Follow the Steps to avoid false-negative and false-positive results March 2012, Video #758995.
• Continuing Medical Education for Clinicians:
  • IDSA: CME Case Study Course on the Clinical Assessment, Treatment, and Prevention of Lyme Disease - This free, interactive course consists of a series of case studies designed to educate clinicians regarding the proper diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease. Each case is accredited for .25 CME credits, for a maximum of 1.5 CME.
  • Clinical Directors Network (CDN) : Recognizing and Treating Tick-Borne Diseases - A 1.25 CME credit webinar from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and DEET Education program.

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