A physician’s wife was bitten by a tick near Lake Grapevine, Texas, after the area had flooded and she was kayaking with a family member.
She later developed the classic “target” skin lesion associated with Lyme disease, which appears in only about 15 percent of tick bites.
Unable to secure a timely appointment with an infectious disease specialist, the physician treated her empirically with doxycycline.
He credits the early intervention with preventing a chronic Lyme disease infection that could have caused long-term illness.
The physician emphasized that doxycycline is the key drug for prophylaxis following a tick bite.
He noted that established protocols recommend a single dose of doxycycline within 72 hours of a bite to prevent years of potential complications.
Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, transmitted through the bite of infected ticks.
Prompt treatment after exposure remains a critical factor in reducing the risk of persistent infection.
