Tick Bites and Lyme Disease – Reducing the Risks

Residents Take Precautions as Deer Ticks Migrate to New U.S. Regions

Aug 1, 2009 Mary King

Lyme-carrying deer ticks are no longer just a problem in the Northeastern U.S. 48 states have shown evidence of the disease. Learn how to protect against tick bites.

The entire U.S. mainland has been put on the alert for tick infestation and Lyme disease. Black-legged ticks (aka deer ticks) are migrating to new regions as a result of climate changes, reforestation, people moving away from the city, and an explosive increase in the white-tailed deer population. The white-tailed deer is the main host for the Lyme-carrying ticks.

The Web site, Medicine News Today, in an article titled, "Migrating Tick Populations Pose Year Round Disease Threat for People and Pets" (No author mentioned, Oct. 2007), the author reports that adult ticks are most active in the fall months, and "... data compiled by the veterinary industry show that dogs in 48 states already have tested positive this year for Lyme disease exposure, signaling a nationwide threat to families and their pets."

What is Lyme Disease and How is It Spread?

Most everyone in the U.S. has heard of Lyme disease. Residents are at least vaguely familiar with its symptoms, particularly the characteristic bull's-eye rash. Deer ticks are tiny – adults are the size of a sesame seed – and trying to spot an embedded parasitic tick on the body is nearly impossible.

Lyme disease is an infection caused by Borrelia Burgdorferi, a type of bacterium called a spirochete that is carried by deer ticks. Infected ticks attach to mice and other small rodents that live in wooded areas. The ticks can also attach to dogs and humans. Lyme disease can cause serious illness if left untreated, affecting the joints, nervous system, heart, skin, and eyes. Symptoms of Lyme disease may not appear for weeks or even months after a tick bite, and can be difficult to diagnose.

How Can People Guard against Tick Bites?

Tick infestation is spreading beyond wooded areas, moving closer to residential back yards. It's not just campers and/or hunters bringing ticks home. Pets – especially dogs – are susceptible to tick bites and can easily bring ticks into the home.

Kids playing in back yards and adults working in the garden can pick up ticks, too. While most tick cases are associated with rural residents that live near wooded areas, visiting friends and relatives should also be made aware of tick dangers. Check the following suggestions to avoid tick bites:

Inspect children closely for ticks. The best course of action is to have a child bathe as soon as he comes inside from playing outdoors. It's easier to inspect for ticks on the skin and scalp and catch the insects before they can do any harm.
Wash clothing, camp bedding, and anything else than can be laundered, immediately. Washing alone does not eliminate ticks, but heat from a dryer will kill the insects. Run clothing through the dryer on high heat for at least 30 minutes.
Ticks can inhabit tall grass, piles of leaves, and low-growing bushy vegetation. Keep lawn and field grass mowed.
Wear appropriate clothing when hunting, hiking, or horseback riding. Tuck pants legs inside boots. Keep hair pulled back and tucked under a cap.
Pebble-size stones or gravel can deter ticks. Mark off an area – the perimeter of a garden or play area, for example – and pour a line of gravel about three feet wide around the space. Ticks need moisture and a host to live; stones present a dry life-threatening barrier to the parasites. Keep the gravel free of grass clippings, leaves, and weeds.
Check pets for ticks. Dogs are especially prone to picking up ticks. Pets are a common link between tick exposure and humans (and houses). Use a tick-prevention medication.
Keep wood piles away from the house. Rodents that may carry ticks hide in dark crawl spaces provided by wood piles.
Don't sit directly on the ground when out in the woods.
Discourage deer from coming into the yard with fences or repellent. Keep food for birds and other wildlife contained, and store domestic feed, dry dog food, etc. where rodents can't get into it.

When a Tick Bites, Don't Panic

When a tick is found on the skin, don't panic. Not all ticks are infected with Lyme.

According to online Web information provided by the American Lyme Disease Foundation (ALDF), in the article, "What is Lyme Disease" (no author given, 2009), "... studies of infected deer ticks have shown that they begin transmitting Lyme disease an average of 36 to 48 hours after attachment. Therefore, your chances of contracting LD are greatly reduced if you remove a tick within the first 48 hours. Remember, too, that nearly all of early diagnosed Lyme disease cases are easily treated and cured."

The ALDF site gives precise instructions for removing ticks and offers detailed information on how to identify Lyme disease symptoms.

Guarding against ticks that carry Lyme disease has become an issue for the entire U.S. Residents need to know that the ticks are migrating not only to all mainland states, but into back yards, as well. Keeping tall grass cut and using repellents are just two of the many ways to cut down on tick bites. Not all ticks are infected with Lyme disease, but even if a tick is infected, there is a reasonable time frame for taking action.

The copyright of the article Tick Bites and Lyme Disease – Reducing the Risks in General Medicine is owned by Mary King. Permission to republish Tick Bites and Lyme Disease – Reducing the Risks in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Tick Populations are High in Wooded Areas	Increase in Deer Population Means More Ticks	Tall Grass is a Tick Habitat
Gravel Barriers Deter Ticks from Entering Yards	Ticks Can Carry Diseases