Vermont Lyme Disease & Tick Bite Telehealth
Tick Bite Care for Vermont Patients
Vermont has one of the highest rates of Lyme disease in the United States. Access to timely evaluation and treatment after a tick bite can be challenging, particularly during peak tick season when appointments may be limited. Additionally many providers and urgent care facilities are not well informed about early treatment and prevention options and may decline to provide sufficient treatment and may not be willing to engage in shared decision making with the patient regarding their treatment preferences. There are many reports of patients being sent away without treatment, when in fact treatment was indicated.
Tick Bite Telehealth provides online consultations for eligible Vermont patients concerned about recent tick bites, Lyme disease prevention, early Lyme disease treatment, and other tick-borne infections.
Care is provided by Dr. Jade Stefano, ND, a Lyme literate naturopathic doctor and is informed by ILADS treatment guidelines. She has advanced training in Lyme disease and co-infection management having completed the ILADS physician raining program.
Recent Tick Bite Evaluation
If you have recently removed a tick or discovered an attached tick, an evaluation may help determine:
Whether Lyme disease prophylaxis should be considered
Whether the tick attachment is concerning
Whether additional testing may be appropriate
What symptoms to monitor for in the coming weeks
Prompt evaluation is often most useful soon after a bite occurs.
Early Lyme Disease Care
Early Lyme disease symptoms may include:
Expanding rash
Fever or chills
Fatigue
Headache
Muscle or joint aches
Swollen lymph nodes
Early diagnosis and treatment can be important in reducing the risk of ongoing illness. If you were bitten by a tick or have high exposure risk and are showing symtoms it is important to consider Lyme disease treatment promptly. A rash is not required for diagnosis and treatment.
Tick-Borne Disease Testing
Testing options may include conventional laboratories as well as specialty testing depending on the clinical situation, timing of exposure, and patient goals.
Because Lyme disease antibodies can take several weeks to develop, testing immediately after a tick bite may produce false-negative results. Treatment may be recommended before testing based on other considerations.
Why Lyme Disease Is Common in Vermont
Vermont has one of the highest rates of Lyme disease in the country. Blacklegged ticks (deer ticks) are found throughout much of the state and can transmit Lyme disease as well as other tick-borne infections. Early evaluation after a tick bite may help patients understand their risk, monitor for symptoms, and determine whether preventive treatment should be considered.
Vermont Telehealth Appointments
Telehealth appointments are available for patients located in Vermont at the time of their visit. Dr. Jade Stefano is licensed in both Washington State and Vermont and provides virtual care from Seattle, Washington. Dr. Stefano is committed to providing rapid access to Lyme prevention protocols and early treatment based on ILADS recommendations to help prevent chronic illness and disability. Having over a dozen family members with this illness and many patients with late stage Lyme disease that went undiagnosed for years and decades, she wants to help as many people as possible avoid getting chronically ill.