For Immediate Release Date: May 11, 2016 Contact: Leslie Piotrowski (847) 377-8055 Carolyn Waller (847) 377-8099
The Lake County Health Department/Community
Health Center is encouraging county residents to take precautions against ticks,
which can carry diseases such as Lyme disease. Once considered a rare illness
in Lake County, Lyme disease is becoming more common in the area. The average
annual number of reported probable and confirmed cases of this disease
increased steadily from 6.7 cases between 2003-2005 to 30.3 cases between
2012-2015.
“As people go outside to enjoy warmer weather they
should remember to protect themselves and their families against ticks and Lyme
disease,” said Mike Adam, a senior biologist at the Health Department. “This is
the peak time of year for tick activity.”
Deer ticks (sometimes called the black-legged tick) can
carry Lyme disease, as well as other diseases such as anaplasmosis, bartonella,
ehrlichia or babesiosis. They are about an eighth of an inch long as adults,
and dark brown to bright red with black legs. Deer ticks were first documented
in Lake County in 2006. Another kind of local tick is the American dog tick
(sometimes called the wood tick). Dog ticks are one-quarter-inch long as
adults, much smaller as juveniles, and are dark reddish brown with irregular
silvery or cream-colored patterns on their backs. Additionally, the Lone Star
tick, distinguished by a white dot, or star on its back, was documented for the
first time last year in Lake County.
Neither Lone Star nor dog ticks transmit Lyme disease. However, the dog
tick can transmit Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and the Lone Star tick can
transmit STARI (Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness), although no cases of
these diseases have been reported in Lake County.
Each year, the Health Department conducts
environmental surveillance of ticks. In conjunction with North Park University
and the Lake County Forest Preserve District, it collects and tests samples for
Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. To build awareness about the dangers
associated with ticks, it is launching a “Fight the Bite” educational campaign
that includes billboard advertisements.
The Health Department is urging residents to protect
themselves from exposure to ticks by following the guidelines below:
Tips for reducing tick habitat around your
home:
· Clear
leaf litter under trees, and keep the ground clean under bird feeders.
· Keep
grass near playground equipment short.
· Install
a wood chip or gravel barrier between lawns and wooded and tall grass areas. Minimize wood piles as these are
attractive to small mammals such as mice, which can carry ticks.
Tips
for reducing exposure to ticks:
· Avoid
tick habitat by staying on trails when in forest preserves and parks.
· Wear
light-colored, protective clothing, such as long-sleeved shirts, long trousers,
boots or sturdy shoes, and a head covering. Tuck trouser cuffs in socks and
tuck in shirt tails.
· Apply
insect repellent containing DEET primarily to clothes. Apply repellent
sparingly to exposed skin. Do not apply directly to the face. Be sure to wash
treated skin after coming indoors. Use repellents containing permethrin to
treat clothes (especially pants, socks and shoes), but not skin. Always follow label directions and supervise
children in the use of repellents.
· Walk
in the center of trails so plants do not brush against you.
· Check
yourself, your children and other family members every two to three hours for ticks.
· If
your pets spend time outdoors, regularly check them for ticks, too.
· Promptly
remove any ticks to help prevent infection.
To
find and remove ticks:
· Check
the skin and clothing of anyone that has been in grassy areas for an extended
period.
· Pay
extra attention to the neck, behind the ears and the groin.
· Use
fine-tipped tweezers or shield your fingers with a tissue when removing a tick.
· Do
not burn the tick with a match or cover it with petroleum jelly.
· Grasp
the tick close to the skin surface and pull upward with slow, even pressure.
· Do
not twist or pull the tick quickly; this causes the mouthparts to break off and
remain in the skin.
· Do
not squeeze the tick's body.
· Once
the tick is removed, disinfect the bite site and wash your hands with soap and
water.
Make a note of the date you removed
the tick and save it for identification in case you become ill. Place the tick
in a plastic bag and put it in your freezer.
In order to transmit illness, a deer tick must be
attached to the skin for at least 24 hours. Symptoms of Lyme disease may
include "bull's-eye" rashes or lesions around the site of the bite
(generally seven to 14 days after the tick has consumed a blood meal) accompanied
by fever, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, and/or joint aches. If you experience
any of the signs or symptoms seven days or more following a known tick bite,
you should consult your physician.
For more information, visit: www.fightthebitenow.com.
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