Be Tick Smart to Prevent Tickborne Diseases
The warmer weather is on
its way, which means that we need to be using proper protection methods against
ticks and the diseases they carry. Maine had 1,473 cases of Lyme disease
reported in 2016 (preliminary as of 3/1/17). May is Lyme Disease Awareness
Month each year in Maine, which is the perfect time to remind you to “be tick
smart” by doing your daily tick check, since ticks are most active in warmer
weather.
Lyme disease is a bacterial
infection that is passed through the bite of an infected deer tick. It is most
common in adults over the age of 65 years and in children between the ages of 5
and 15 years in Maine. Individuals that work and play outside are more likely
to be exposed to ticks. Ticks must be attached for 24-48 hours before Lyme
disease can be transmitted, so daily tick checks will allow you to find and
remove ticks before getting Lyme disease.
If you are bitten by a
tick, or spend a lot of time outdoors, watch for symptoms for up to 30 days,
and call your healthcare provider if symptoms develop. The most common symptom
of Lyme disease is a skin lesion called erythema migrans (EM), better known as
the “bull’s-eye” rash. This usually appears in 3-30 days after the tick bite.
Other symptoms include fevers, headaches, and joint or muscle pain.
Lyme disease is treatable
and most individuals recover completely with a proper drugs. However, the
easiest way to avoid the disease is prevention, using “No Ticks 4 ME”:
- Use
caution in tick infested areas
- Wear
protective clothing
- Use
an EPA approved repellant
- Perform daily tick checks after any
outdoor activity
Lyme disease is not the
only disease that can be carried by deer ticks in Maine. Anaplasmosis and babesiosis
are two other tickborne infections found in Maine. The number of cases reported
for anaplasmosis rose to 372 (preliminary as of 3/1/17) and the number of
babesiosis cases rose to 82 (preliminary as of 3/1/17) in 2016.
While the deer tick is
the only species of tick in Maine that can transmit Lyme disease, there are
other species of ticks found across the state including dog ticks. Tick
identification is important, especially when removing ticks, and there are tick
identification resources available to order at Maine CDC’s website. The
University of Maine Cooperative Extension Tick ID Lab also offers free
identification services and educational references.
Additional information:
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