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Be Alert for Ticks | |
| By The Associated Press The deer tick which can bring you Lyme disease is especially troublesome because it's such a tiny little bugger. In the nymph stage, the tick is about the size of a poppy seed and is difficult to see and feel. "Because of their small size nymphal ticks can easily go undetected and are responsible for most Lyme disease cases in humans," says David L. Weld, executive director of American Lyme Disease Foundation, Ltd. Lyme disease is an acute and chronic noncontagious inflammatory condition caused by a spirochete (a bacterium shaped like a corkscrew). The first symptom is most often a bullseye-shaped rash at the site of the bite. Flu-like symptoms including fatigue, chills and fever may be experienced but may not seem serious enough to require medical attention. But if left untreated, the disease can cause severe complications with possible permanent damage to joints and-or nervous system. Early treatment, usually with antibiotics, is essential. The Lyme disease bacterium, called Borrelia burgdorferi, is carried by some birds and small mammals, such as the white-footed mouse. Bacteria are picked up by ticks when they feed on these animals and subsequently passed on when they bite humans. The most common tick carriers of Lyme disease in the United States are the deer tick (Ixodes scapularis) in the eastern states and the black-legged tick (Ixodes pacificus) in the western states. Though a vaccine is currently in final clinical development, it isn't yet available to consumers. So protective, preventive measures taken through the May-to-September season when the deer tick abounds is the best way to avoid infection, according to the foundation. Lyme is the most widespread but not the only disease carried by ticks, points out the Mayo Clinic Health Letter. Erlichiosis, also producing flu-like symptoms seven to 21 days after a bite and life-threatening in about 5 percent of cases, is carried by the deer tick in the upper Midwest and Northeast and the Lone Star tick in southern states. Babesiosis, also carried by the deer tick, mostly in New England and New York, mimics malaria, with fatigue, fever, drenching sweat, muscle aches and headaches occuring about a week after a tick bite. Rocky Mountain spotted fever is carried by the dog tick, and despite its name occurs in the eastern and southern part of the country; symptoms appearing three to 10 days after a bite include fever, headaches, muscle aches and a red rash. Severe cases can be fatal, especially in the elderly. If you spend any time outdoors, take these precautions: - Wear light-colored clothing; larger adult ticks can be more easily detected and brushed off. - Tuck pants legs into socks or boots to prevent ticks from reaching your skin, and use a repellent containing DEET on your clothes. - Stay on the trail in the woods. Ticks live in low bushes and tall grass, where they can brush onto you. They won't jump off trees to get to you. - Make your yard tick-resistant. Clear brush and leaves away and keep your woodpiles in sunny areas; both will cut down available home sites for ticks. - When you come back indoors, take time to examine your body for ticks. Routinely check your pets, too. - Remove ticks as soon as possible. Risk of Lyme disease decreases if the tick is removed within 36 to 48 hours. And if you get bitten: - When you find an attached tick, use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as closely to the skin as possible. Slowly pull it straight out. After removal, clean the area with alcohol or similar antiseptic. - Contact your local health department, which can help you identify the tick. If the tick is thought to be a deer tick, call your doctor immediately. If you can, store the tick in a plastic bag and take it with you to the doctor's office. - If you have flu-like symptoms (fever, nausea, etc.) after being bitten by a tick or after spending time outdoors in a wooded area, call your doctor immediately. Copyright 1996 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | |