From the San Diego Daily Transcript web site:

LA County Finds First Tick With Lyme Disease 

Feb. 20, 1998 

LOS ANGELES (AP) - County officials found the first tick
showing evidence of Lyme disease and warned Santa Monica
Mountains hikers to be cautious. 

A hiker found the tick in Topanga State Park two weeks ago and
the tick tested positive for Lyme disease, which can lead to severe
neurological problems in humans. More tests are to be run to
confirm the disease. 

On Thursday, Robert Saviskas, director of Los Angeles County's
West Vector Control District recommended all outdoor
enthusiasts wear bright, long clothes, tuck pants into socks and
wear tick repellent. In addition, he recommended hikers check
their clothes and bodies daily for ticks after hiking. 

"Until we have further confirmation, it's in the best interests of the
public to take the precautions against ticks that they should have
been taking all along." 

Since 1983 there have been 2,118 cases of Lyme disease
reported in California, most cases of them in Northern California.
Twenty-eight cases of the disease have been reported by Los
Angeles County authorities since 1989. 

Lyme-carrying ticks also have been found in Kern and San
Bernardino counties, said Dr. Robert Murray, a state health
department epidemiologist. 

Lyme disease, which can also affect dogs and horses, is
transmitted through the Western black-legged tick, a smaller
cousin of the more common dog tick. The disease can be treated
with antibiotics in early stages. 

Early symptoms are flu-like and can include a red rash surrounding
the bite. Later symptoms include severe soreness in the joints and
neurological problems such as memory loss. In rare cases, the
disease can be fatal. 

San Diego Daily Transcript
[Note: Link not available as of 2 March 2000] 
http://sddt.com/files/librarywire/98/02/20/cr.html

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