Question: My sister is coming to visit us with two dogs. We live in an area where there is a lot of Lyme disease. My worry is that her dogs will bring ticks into the house. Is this a concern?

Dr. Hibberd's answer:
Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in North America and Europe. Despite this concern, it is still a relatively uncommon disorder in my experience of over 30 years of clinical, academic, and hospital medicine. If your sister lives in heavily wooded areas where she might walk her dogs, her dogs could be exposed to deer ticks, and transmission would be by the tick bite only. You should check the pets for ticks, and use tick collars and general preventive approaches, and if they have ticks, have them treated. Keep the dogs on a leash, and avoid letting them in the underbrush or forested areas where ticks are commonly found. Avoid going away from designated paths when the dogs come to visit. Since you live in an area with Lyme disease, you must continue precautions to avoid getting affected, even after your sister leaves.