As with so much else, climate change is playing a big role in extending the breeding and biting seasons of ticks. Brief, mild winters and long, hot springs and summers are incubators for ticks, especially in the Northeast and the Midwest.
Symptoms: Many tick borne diseases can have similar signs and symptoms. If you get a tick bite and develop the symptoms below within a few weeks, see your healthcare provider. The most common symptoms of tick-related illnesses include:
- Fever/chills. All tick-borne diseases can cause fever.
- Aches and pains. Tick-borne diseases can cause headache, fatigue, and muscle aches. People with Lyme disease may also have joint pain.
- Rash. Lyme disease, Southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI), Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), ehrlichiosis, and tularemia can cause distinctive rashes.
There are at least 10 diseases carried by ticks. Your healthcare provider should evaluate the following before deciding on a plan for treatment:
- Your symptoms
- The geographic region where you were bitten
- Lab tests
Tick paralysis is thought to be caused by a toxin in the saliva of an attached tick. People with tick paralysis can experience weakness or paralysis that gradually moves up the body. These symptoms can sometimes resemble other neurologic conditions such as Guillain-Barré syndrome or botulism. Patients typically regain movement within 24 hours of removing the tick. Learn more at Tick Paralysis: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia.
Ticks find their hosts by detecting animals' breath and body odors, or by sensing body heat, moisture, and vibrations. Some species can even recognize a shadow. In addition, ticks pick a place to wait by identifying well-used paths. Then they wait for a host, resting on the tips of grasses and shrubs. Ticks can't fly or jump, but many tick species wait in a position known as "questing".
While questing, ticks hold onto leaves and grass by their third and fourth pair of legs. They hold the first pair of legs outstretched, waiting to climb on to the host. When a host brushes the spot where a tick is waiting, it quickly climbs aboard. Some ticks will attach quickly and others will wander, looking for places like the ear, or other areas where the skin is thinner.
How ticks spread disease:
Small amounts of saliva from the tick may also enter the skin of the host animal during the feeding process. If the tick contains a pathogen, the organism may be transmitted to the host animal in this way.
After feeding, most ticks will drop off and prepare for the next life stage. At its next feeding, it can then transmit an acquired disease to the new host.
Ticks also can secrete small amounts of saliva with anesthetic properties so that the animal or person can't feel that the tick has attached itself. If the tick is in a sheltered spot, it can go unnoticed.
Ticks suck blood anywhere from minutes to days, depending on the tick species. If the host animal has a blood-borne infection, the tick will ingest the pathogens with the blood.
Ticks live in grassy, brushy, or wooded areas, or even on animals. Spending time outside walking your dog, camping, gardening, or hunting could bring you in close contact with ticks. Many people get ticks in their own yard or neighborhood. You can purchase tick removal kits on Amazon. There are also preventative sprays for your clothes.
Treat clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin. Permethrin can be used to treat boots, clothing and camping gear and remain protective through several washings. Alternatively, you can buy permethrin-treated clothing and gear.
See Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone. EPA's helpful search tool can help you find the product that best suits your needs. Always follow product instruction. Do not use products containing OLE or PMD on children under 3 years old.
- Check your clothing for ticks. Ticks may be carried into the house on clothing. Any ticks that are found should be removed. Tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks on dry clothing after you come indoors. If the clothes are damp, additional time may be needed. If the clothes require washing first, hot water is recommended. Cold and medium temperature water will not kill ticks.
- Body check when you come in
- If you find a tick, remove it and let your physician know. They will decide if you need treatment.
- Check your pets too
Be safe
Cathy Gegaris
https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/prevention/index.html
