Oh Boy I think it may have been a few hours ...certainly not over 24 hours, yet I was sick a week or two later..I am still going to assume and get the tests done., so many differing answers.. drives you daft..Thanks guys.
As with everything else with Lyme, the question of length of attachment before infection is possible has no universally accepted answer.
Like JackieCalifornia, I've read varying times from varying sources, but have no idea how to check the validity of the claims.
I'm reading Bruhner's book "Healing Lyme" and he talks about what happens when the tick attaches at takes its meal, but I can't recall if he said much about "how long."
No - I don't think there is an answer to the 'how long attached' - question.
I've read different things in different places: some say 24 hours, some 12 hours, but I have not read anywhere on what basis the statement is made -- that is, has anyone done a study to know for certain?
As in, 'how long does the mosquito's sticker have to be in your skin to give you malaria?' and 'how long does the bee's stinger have to be in to give you bee venom?'
There's something about the deer tick spending some time and effort to cement itself to the skin (with tick spit?), and perhaps that is the window of time on which the statements are made, but still I've never seen any evidence proving that X hours is the magic cut off.