i have been treated for and suffered from lymes disease and suffered from long term effects of lymes. many antibiotic treatments and did not work. most people respond well to antibiotic treatment/s, i did not.
sometimes all the best prevention and/or looking for these buggers and getting them off doesn't always keep you safe, but as soon as you find them on you, get them off. and get to a doctor for a lymes test if you have had any redness or swelling after removal, or other abnormal skin reaction; or if you experience any other unusual health anomalies you have never experienced before. might start out feeling like a bad flu, or having mononucleosis, mine (a couple of examples) were extreme fatigue and severe muscular/ joint aches. if you develop a 'bullseye' or 'donut' type looking reddish rash........ or two, or three or more wherever on your skin....it's probably lymes. doesn't always happen right away, might take weeks to develop.
ted, i wish your brother well, not fun the antibiotics and i hope he does well on them!