You are incorrect. Check any online or offline medical source you want, ticks carrying lyme disease can be attached for up to several days before you notice, if you notice the engorged sac at all, and the “bullseye” is not seen in over a half of diagnosed Lyme disease cases.
I’ve contracted Lyme 4 years ago and had no indication of a tick bite. I live in an area where Lyme disease is native, we are due west of Old Lyme, Connecticut, with almost exactly the same deer habitat, but much greater deer density. Been aware of tick bite prevention and what lyme bites look like since i was a wee kid. Anyway, I’ve seen plenty of active people who didn’t see or feel or have any indication of a bite who have been diagnosed with Lyme disease.
That could be true of certain cases, but they do not represent a normal reaction. According to diagnostic Microbiology, Koneman, Allen, Janda, Schreckenberger, and Winn, 93% of NJ's patients presented with the classic erythymia chronicum migrans-the bulleye lesion. Lymphadenopathy was also noted. That "statistic" of 1/2, represents cases with very little info-guesswork. IOWs, they missed the tick bite and most likely the entire primary stage of the infection. In other cases, the penicillin may have been given just on the basis of the bite alone. Most docs in the more populated areas wait for the results of a lyme titer though and that risks secondary lyme and the accompanying development of arthritis.
"I’ve contracted Lyme 4 years ago and had no indication of a tick bite. I live in an area where Lyme disease is native, we are due west of Old Lyme, Connecticut, with almost exactly the same deer habitat, but much greater deer density."
That area is just where the disease was first noticed and characterized. Also, deer are not necessary to support the tick. Any animal will do, that includes mice. I can imagine some folks might have a bite then knock the tick's body off. ...could be on the head. The tick's head though is left in, more, or less deep and the spirochete still gets in. The lesion may not be noticed, maybe there's just an itch, or another problem that masks the feeling.
"You are incorrect. Check any online or offline medical source you want,"
I'm a primary source. Deer ticks cause pain when they attach and after they're attached. They can feel like one was hit by a splintered 2x4, or a generalized bruise and accompanying burning sensation that might lead one to believe there's been a scrape in the area. The feeling is not accompanied by any marks, or signs one would expect from the magnitude and quality of the pain. Since they're often <1/2 mm, they are never noticed by those unfamiliar with the bugs. The person could think they just bumped into something, stretched a muscle, ect... and can't remember what it might have been.
I posted this note, so that anyone who cares to listen, will check for ticks, when they have that kind of feeling in the spring and early summer. It may require the assistance of someone else, and an optical aid. If you miss the initial tick bite and lesion, febrile illness and lymphadenopathy, one risks developing the complications of secondary lyme that include arthritis. THe same risk applies to those whose doc holds off on the antibiotics, until some lyme titer result comes in.