Lyme Disease

Put the Lyme in the…tick bite?

Warmer months mean time to familiarize yourself with ways in which you can decrease tick borne illness. Two common tick species which have been shown to carry Lyme disease include the blacklegged tick and the American dog tick both of which were found in increasing numbers in Michigan in 2017-2018. In general, a tick needs to be attached for 24-36 hours before it can transmit Lyme disease bacteria.

Where are ticks?

·Wooded areas

·Play structures that are close to trees

·Walking and hiking trails

·Garden areas

A tick may adhere to your skin without you noticing. However, if the tick has Lyme disease you may notice some symptoms several days after the tick embeds. This includes:

·Fatigue

·Chills

·Headache

·Circular rash

·Swollen lymph nodes

·Joint and muscle pain

Prevention:

·Insect repellent containing DEET

·Check for ticks once you come in from outdoors (armpits, behind the knees, in the groin area, as well as in the hair)

·Wear clothing treated with 0.5% permethrin

·You can kill ticks on dry clothing by placing clothing in the dryer for 10 minutes

The CDC has guidelines for removing ticks

1. Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.
2. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you are unable to remove the mouth easily with clean tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.
3. After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
4. Never crush a tick with your fingers. Dispose of a live tick by putting it in alcohol, placing it in a sealed bag/container, wrapping it tightly in tape, or flushing it down the toilet.