It’s summertime, which means many of us spend more time outside: camping, hiking, walking in the park or working in the yard. Some of us may work outdoors. Any activity that leads to time in overgrown grassy or brushy areas can result in encounters with ticks, and the health threats that they may carry.
Proper use of repellents and regular checks for ticks are keys to protecting yourself from the irritation of tick bites and exposure to the dieases that they may carry. Ticks are plentiful in some areas. Fortunatley, the incidence of tick-borne diseases is rare.
Left to right are a tiny tick larva, larger nymph, adult male and adult female. Ticks of all sizes can be found on people and pets. Careful checks are needed to find the smallest stages.
Kentuckians face three common ticks. The lone star tick with its painful, itchy bite is our most common nuisance tick, followed by the American dog tick. The blacklegged tick is becoming more common and widespread in the state. All three species may carry some type of disease. Specific diseases, which vary with the tick specie, include erlichiosis anaplasmosis, spotted fever, and Lyme disease.
HR Leave Administration, in conjunction with Dr. Lee Townsend of UK Department of Entomology in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, wants to remind faculty, staff, students and their family and friends of a few key points this summer season about prevention of tick related injury/illness:
1. Check yourself several times a day
Check yourself several times a day while in tick- infested areas, and thoroughly after you leave. Ticks are picked up on the lower legs while walking through tall vegetation. They crawl upward and normally attach in these areas to feed:
- In and around the hair
- In and around the ears
- Under the arms
- Inside the belly button
- Between the legs
- Behind the knees
2. Remove ticks promptly
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, prompt removal of ticks is very important. In many cases, infected ticks must be attached and feed for several hours before a pathogen is transferred.
3. Remove an attached tick carefully
Follow these steps:
- Use clean, fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.
- Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Yanking, twisting or jerking the tick can cause the mouthparts to break off and remain in the skin. If possible, carefully remove them with tweezers. If this is not possible, leave them and let the skin heal.
- After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub or soap and water.
- Dispose of a live tick by submersing it in alcohol, placing it in a sealed bag/container and wrapping it tightly in tape. You can keep the tick if you are concerned about the potential for exposure to a disease. Never crush the tick with your fingers.
Do not “paint” the tick with nail polish or petroleum jelly or use heat to make the tick detach. These actions could increase the chance of disease transmission if the tick is infected. Your goal is to remove the tick as quickly and carefully as possible. Do not wait for it to detach.
4. Follow up with a health care provider if needed
If you develop a rash or fever within several weeks of removing a tick, see your medical provider. Be sure to tell the provider about your recent tick bite, when the bite occurred and where you most likely acquired the tick.
Diseases from ticks in our region are rare, but they do happen. These diseases can be difficult to identify without a physician’s help. Here are some symptoms that may indicate a tick-borne illness:
- Fever
- Muscle aches
- Rash
- Fatigue
- Joint pain (mainly for Lyme Disease)
Be aware these symptoms may not occur until several weeks after the bite, and not all patients show the same symptoms (particularly with rashes).
Tick identification (but not disease testing) is available through your local Cooperative Extension Service office. Find more information in ticks and diseases in Kentucky.