Ticks have, unfortunately, become one of summertime’s irritations, and bites from ticks can sometimes become serious. Residents should know how to protect themselves from illnesses spread by ticks, such as Lyme disease, a bacteria spread by bites from infected blacklegged ticks (deer ticks).
Ticks attach to any part of the body, often in hard-to-see areas like the groin, armpits and scalp.
In most cases, the tick must be attached for 36-48 hours or more before Lyme disease can be transmitted, so a full-body check for ticks after spending time outdoors is important. Remove ticks with tweezers as close to the skin as possible.
Symptoms of Lyme disease include fever, headache, and fatigue. Many, but not all, people will get a characteristic “bull’s-eye” skin rash. If untreated, infections can become serious, however, most cases of Lyme disease can be treated successfully with antibiotics.
To avoid being bitten by a tick:
* Wear light-colored clothing so ticks can be spotted more easily and removed before they bite.
* Wear long-sleeved shirts and tuck pants into socks or boot tops. Wear boots or shoes instead of sandals, especially in brush or long grass.
* Apply insect repellents with DEET to clothes and exposed skin, and apply a permethrin product to clothes to kill ticks on contact to lower the risk of bites. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
* Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors, preferably within two hours, to wash off and more easily find ticks that are crawling on you.
* Make a full-body check after being in tick-infested areas. Check children under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, behind the knees, between the legs, around the waist, and especially in the hair. //
* Examine gear and pets. Ticks ride into homes on clothing and pets, and then attach to a person later, so carefully examine pets, coats, and day packs.
* Tumble clothes in a dryer on high heat for an hour to kill remaining ticks.
The range of the blacklegged tick in
If you are bitten by a tick that is suspected or confirmed to be a blacklegged tick, you should call your health care provider. Be sure to tell the doctor about your recent tick bite, when the bite occurred, and where you most likely came into contact with the tick.
Ticks can be submitted for identification; blacklegged ticks that are still alive can be submitted to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHSS) for Lyme disease testing.
Steps for submitting a tick:
Only ticks that have been attached to people, not animals, or have been engorged with human blood should be submitted. Ticks should be intact (not crushed or in pieces). If alive, place the tick in a container with a piece of paper towel moistened with drop of water. If dead, place it in a small, watertight container filled with water or alcohol. Dead ticks can only be submitted for identification, not testing for Lyme disease.
The BEDHD can help submit ticks to MDHHS for identification and testing, or ticks can be directly submitted to MDHHS; go to http://1.usa.gov/1Ij9MQS for instructions and the submission form.
For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/lyme or www.barryeatonhealth.org. For tick-related questions, call the Environmental Health Division of the BEDHD in
